Scouts in Action - Scouts rescue 78 yr old solo backpacker in Emigrant Wilderness (CA)

[RememberSchiff]

Santa Barbara–based troop, Troop 26, was on the fourth day of a seven-day backpacking trip through the Emigrant Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest that borders Yosemite National Park. Nine young scouts were accompanied by five adult leaders.

They were trekking with their 40-pound packs through a high-altitude meadow near Long Lake when they came upon a lone, disoriented  78 year old outdoorsman Douglas Montgomery.

He was on a solo 14-day backpacking trip but lost his pack and with it his shelter, food, water, medication, and personal locator beacon.  He did have his survival training from Scouting, but Eagle Scout Douglas Montgomery was cold, tired, and dehydrated when Troop 26 scouts came to his rescue.

There's more at source. Good story with another surprise or two.

Source:

https://www.independent.com/2025/08/24/santa-barbara-boy-scouts-rescue-former-scoutmaster-lost-in-the-sierra-nevada/

P.S. I can relate to this quote from old Eagle Scout Douglas Montgomery

“Backpacking was my first love. But once you learn how to live in the wilderness … and your backpacking skills become more challenged by age, you like stuff where you’re sitting down.”

Scout Salute to all in this story.

Edited August 25 by RememberSchiff

[RememberSchiff]

Interesting to read Troop 26 SM M-J Hey's account of this rescue in Outdoor Life. 

“When we got to him, I asked him where he thought he was and he was a complete 15 miles off course,” says Hey, who’s been a scoutmaster for six months. “He did bump into hikers and they gave him directions but no help. More than anything, I was upset to hear that. He was anxious and concerned. He was in a bad spot.” ...

Three hours after the troop’s Garmin inReach transmitted a call for help, a chopper retrieved Montgomery from a nearby meadow. He made a full recovery and is now traveling in Europe. As for Troop 26, rescuing Troop 10’s former leader goes well beyond merit badge recognition.

“We sat around the campfire that night and I was peppered with questions,” Hey says. “I thought it was so lovely to be able to go through the entire thought process with the boys. What I saw, what my options were, why I made certain decisions. They were really engaged. It was a powerful moment. What I wanted the scouts to get out of it was how they can really have a huge impact in the real world. I wanted to look after Montgomery and save him, but I also wanted the scouts to see how important their skills are. And they got the message in droves.”

Source:

https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/boy-scouts-rescue-backpacker/