By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
DOLLY SODS – Two female hikers who were lost Wednesday in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area near Beaver Dam were located early Thursday morning around 9 a.m. Tucker County 911 officials said the hikers were both in their early 20s.
Officials said they received a call around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday reporting the missing women, and said the hikers were located Thursday morning and were both fine, neither requiring medical attention. 911 officials said both girls were ‘just glad to be out of the woods.’
Those helping with the search include Canaan Valley Fire Department and Petersburg Fire Department. Others assisting with the search and rescue were the U.S. Forest Service, Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, the West Virginia State Police, Whitmer Fire Department, Harman Fire Department, Davis Fire Department, Thomas Fire Department and Parsons Fire Department, among others.
Members of the Tucker County Office of Emergency Management helped keep radios charged and operational.
911 Officials said fire personnel and an ambulance crew were on scene all night throughout the rescue efforts. Temperatures were predicted to be a high of 35 degrees with wind gusts of 13 to 16 mph, making wind chill factors of 20 to 25 degrees.
