BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A Valparaiso couple that got lost while hiking in the Hoosier National Forest was found safe after a 15-hour search.
Conservation officers say Jason Craig called 911 Thursday around 6 p.m. to report he and his wife, Hannah Daugherty, got lost while hiking in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness area of the forest.
Search crews from Indiana DNR and the Monroe Fire Protection District went to the forest and began searching for the couple on foot, as well as with an all-terrain vehicle and a boat.
Officers found Craig Thursday night in the area of the Grubb Ridge Trail, but his wife was still missing. Craig said the couple separated when Daugherty became too exhausted to continue walking and Craig went off to get help.
The search for Daugherty continued until it was suspended due to steep terrain and other hazards in the search area.
The Hoosier National Forest Service joined search crews and resumed the search Friday. They found Daugherty at 9 a.m.
Conservation officers say the couple was checked out by medics and released.
The Charles C. Deam Wilderness covers nearly 13,000 acres of the forest, including 36 miles of trails near Monroe Lake.