From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, 70-year-old Rudy Lee Inong of Hoopa reportedly drove to the Big Hill area of Hoopa to hunt for mushrooms. Later, when Inong’s son attempted to locate him, Inong’s vehicle was found vacant on Big Hill Road with a dog tied to the bumper.

Around 8:30 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was called to assist in a search and rescue operation with the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police and Hoopa citizens.

A Hoopa resident located Inong uninjured around 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 on Highway 96 at Mill Creek. Inong told deputies on scene that he was hunting for mushrooms in the Mill Creek Drainage when it began to get dark outside. Inong decided to stay overnight in the drainage and wait for daylight before attempting to locate the road.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office thanks the Hoopa citizens, the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police and the Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department for assisting in the search. If you are interested in joining the Humboldt County Search and Rescue Posse, please contact (707) 442-8037.

Big Hill