Roseburg Man Missing For 16 Days in the Wilderness Found Alive Today

Harry Burleigh, a 69-year-old Roseburg man, was found alive today by search and rescue teams after being lost in the wilderness up by Twin Lakes for 16 days/17 nights. Harry had gone up to the Twin Lakes area on Thursday, May 6th, and did not return as expected that day. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to begin searching for Harry on Saturday, May 8. A week ago, on May 16th, a search and rescue crew found a shelter with 4 items of Harry's in it, but no Harry. The shelter was a grueling 6-hour hike each way for the rescuers. They returned to the spot the next day but Harry had moved on and there were no other signs of him. Then today, the incredible news came. A search and rescue crew from Jackson County had hiked into their turnaround point with no sign of Harry. But on their way back, they walked right into him. Here is what Stacy Burleigh (Harry's wife) had to share late this evening with the Roseburg Tracker group about what happened today. "The best of news, Harry was found alive today around 2-3 ish by one of the SAR teams from out of county that drove 3 hours to join in. They had gotten to their end point and turned around and walked into him. He was walking heading back in to the Twin Lakes area. They evacuated him via helicopter to a hospital up in Eugene/Springfield. I spoke to him on the phone and he is coherent and emotional. I will be with him soon. Thank you to all of you on Roseburg tracker for your prayers, love and support. After 16 days this is pretty miraculous! Thank you to all of the SAR teams that put in all the hard work to find him. We are forever grateful!" I will share another update on this miraculous story when more details are available. What an incredible ending! Update: Here is the official release from Douglas County Sheriffs Office late this evening: After 17 nights in the wilderness, 69 year-old Harry Burleigh has been found alive and rescued by Search and Rescue crews who never gave up. On Sunday, May 23, 2021, Douglas County Search and Rescue conducted another mission in the area of Calf Creek after Burleigh's fishing gear was found last weekend. Additional SAR resources were called in from Jackson County, Lake County and Siskiyou County (CA) for Sunday's efforts. At approximately, 3:00 p.m., a team of searchers from Jackson County SAR located a shelter southwest of the original shelter found last weekend. The search crews called out to Mr. Burleigh who responded back. He was found to be walking and complaining of minor pain, but was in stable condition. A Brim Aviation helicopter was utilized to hoist Burleigh from his location and transport him to a waiting Lifeflight helicopter. Lifeflight later transported him to an out of area hospital for evaluation. The Brim Aviation helicopter was utilized to extract the remaining Jackson County SAR team from their position. The other search crews were able to self-extricate. "This was the outcome we all have been looking for in this case. It is because of our determined Search and Rescue Teams and the partnerships we have with other SAR teams from around the state, that Mr. Burleigh has been re-united with his family this evening," Sgt. Brad O'Dell said. "The Sheriff's Office wants to thank everyone who was involved in this mission." Over the course of the search for Mr. Burleigh, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team was assisted by the following entities: Jackson County SAR Josephine County SAR Modoc County SAR (CA) Del Norte County SAR (CA) Siskiyou County SAR (CA) Curry County SAR Klamath County SAR Lake County SAR Lane County SAR US Coast Guard Oregon State SAR Coordinator Brim Aviation Lifeflight United States Forest Service Wolf Creek Job Corp. Hotshots Bay Cities Ambulance Rescue crews would like to remind everyone of the 10 essentials for survival, which include: Navigation (map, compass, GPS, personal locator beacon, etc) Headlamp/flashlight Sunglasses and sunscreen First-aid supplies Fire (the means to start and sustain a fire) Knife Shelter (tent, garbage sack, tarp, etc) Extra clothing Extra food Extra water