A 64-year old man has been missing from his home in the Eatonville area and may have never been found if it was not for his loyal dog.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was asked to find the missing hiker after his wife called and reported that her husband and their dog, Daisy, had gone hiking on Wednesday, but did not return by nightfall, according to a report by The News Tribune in Tacoma.
“The missing man reportedly often went hiking with his dog, but did not leave a note where he was going and had failed to return home after dark,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “The man’s wife reported finding recent internet searchers by her husband for geocaching in the Evans Creaa area. “
The Search and Rescue team found the vehicle of the hiker by 4:45 pm and mapped out a list of geocache locations they have found inside the car. However, it was not until almost two hours later that a deputy heard a barking noise.
“The deputy continued hiking toward the sound of the dog’s barking, and spotted a dog matching the description of Daisy up a very steep embankment about the Marshall River,” the sheriff’s department reported.
The deputy climbed for 30 minutes until he reached the dog, who was just sitting by his owner. The man was already dead from what appeared to be injuries he received from a fall.
“This was a very sad end to a tough search, but we are incredibly proud of our deputies and the volunteers efforts to find the missing man and return him to his family,” the department added. “Without the barking of his loyal companion Daisy, we never would have located the missing man.”
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