Around 2:30PM Tuesday (11/23/2021) afternoon, a Dekalb county woman reported that her 49-year old brother was hunting with friends and had been missing for some time. This was near the area where Dekalb, Rutherford, and Cannon counties join so Rutherford County Fire-Rescue was one of the responding agencies. 

He and a friend had been coon hunting the night before. Reports indicated that the man had a medical condition that caused him to go back to the vehicle. Later the man tried to reunite with his hunting buddy when he became lost. The friend tried to contact him but was unsuccessful. The friend eventually notified the man’s sister, who then reported him missing to local authorities.

Rescue teams combed the area with scent When dogs. The dogs picked up on the missing man's scent. He was located on a steep hillside and rescuers retrieved him from the area via a stokes basket (a wire basket conforming in shape to the human body into which an injured, sick, or disabled person can be safely strapped) and loaded him on an ATV. He was taken by air ambulance to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Rutherford County Fire-Rescue Captain John Ingle said, “We are incredibly thankful that the gentleman was found and his injuries seem to be relatively minor given the circumstances.” 

Dekalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray attributed the success of the mission to teamwork from local and mutual aid partners. “We are elated to have found the patient safe and in good shape and are grateful to all of the agencies who took part in this rescue.”

NewsRadio WGNS salutes the agencies that worked together as a team: Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), Dekalb County Rescue Squad, Dekalb County Fire, Dekalb County Emergency Medical Services, Rutherford County Fire Rescue Special Operations Team (RCFR), Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), Cannon County Rescue Squad, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have coordinated a multi-agency response to reports of a missing hunter in the area of Wildlife Lane in Dekalb County.