Missing hiker found in ‘bad shape’ used shorts to bandage feet, Idaho rescuers say

A missing hiker was found by mountain bikers after getting lost two days prior, Idaho officials said.

On Sept. 18, Blaine deputies got reports of a missing woman having been found on a trail over 17 miles from her last location, according to a post on X by the sheriff’s office.

She was reported missing by her family on Sept. 17 after not being seen since the day prior, deputies said.

Her car was found at the Prairie Creek trailhead, deputies said in a Sept. 18 Instagram post.

Multiple search and rescue teams were deployed but the group who found her wasn’t involved in the rescue mission at all.

Instead, brothers Tommy Gwinn and Vinton Gwinn, along with their friend Shelton Robinson, were on their annual mountain biking trip when they saw her “wandering in her underwear with her feet covered in blood,” the East Idaho News reported.

“We stopped as she was obviously in bad shape,” Tommy Gwinn said, adding that she used her shorts to bandage her feet, according to the outlet. “She didn’t want help at first. She was scared and very guarded. It took about a half hour before she would talk.”

She didn’t tell the group how she got lost, how her shoes went missing or what she experienced throughout the two days and two nights she was missing, Robinson told Cowboy State Daily.

“I’m grateful that our paths crossed, and that we had the right gear and the right equipment to help her,” Robinson told Cowboy State Daily.

The group was able to use their phone to call 911 and she was rescued by air ambulance with unknown injuries, deputies said.

“We’re super grateful we found her,” Robinson told East Idaho News. “It’s always in the back of your mind that something could happen and you need to be rescued. It was cool to see how an actual rescue works. I was very impressed.”

Blaine County is about a 160-mile drive east from Boise.

What to do if you get lost while hiking

If you think you’re getting lost, experts say it’s best to stop where you are and not panic. You should go over how you got to that point and if you’re able to see any landmarks around.

“Do not move at all until you have a specific reason to take a step,” officials with the U.S. Forest Service said.

You should come up with a plan but stay put unless you are “very, very confident in the route.”

There are steps hikers can take to avoid getting lost and be better prepared for the unexpected:

• Have more than enough food and water with you.
• Take a compass that you know how to use, or have a GPS device on hand.
• Don’t rely solely on your cell phone. It probably won’t work because of a lack of signal or a depleted battery.
• Study the terrain and your route, and you should know how you’ll return.
• Have the right clothing. Sturdy hiking boots and layers can help you be prepared for rapidly changing weather.
• Pack a blanket, flashlight and matches.
• Check with a local ranger for special warnings. They can tell you about “fires in the area, bear sightings, flooding, trail or road closures.”