Mising hiker near Blood Mountain

imported
#1 
									This story is from CNN on-line. Just happened in past day:

Search Resumes For Missing Georgia Hiker

POSTED: 4:52 pm EST January 2, 2008
UPDATED: 11:17 am EST January 3, 2008

UNION COUNTY, Ga. – The search resumed Thursday morning in Union County for a missing hiker and her dog.

Friends believe Meredith Emerson, 24, from Gwinnett County, spent Tuesday and Wednesday night outside in the cold north Georgia mountains. Temperatures reached into the teens both nights.

Emerson’s friends said she went hiking with her dog on Blood Mountain Trail Tuesday. Authorities said they have located Emerson’s car and her dog’s leash, but they have found no sign of Emerson or her black Lab, Ella.

Police also found a police baton and a pair of sunglasses near Emerson’s car.

Another hiker told officials he saw a man with a similar baton clipped to his belt hiking on the same trail that Emerson took.

On Thursday search organizers asked other hikers to stay off the Blood Mountain Trail while they used an infared device. They are hoping to pick up images of Emerson from her body heat.

Emerson is 5’4", 120 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“She’s an experienced hiker and a blue belt in martial arts,” said Julia Karrenbauer, Emerson’s roommate. “She’s athletic and has a good head on her shoulders. So we’re just hoping for the best.”

A command post was set up and volunteers and Union County officials searched the trails Wednesday. Authorities pulled all searchers from the trails just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. They resumed their search first thing Thursday morning. A Georgia State Patrol helicopter was going to take part in the search Wednesday but was forced to land due to high winds.

Union County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jeff Fortenberry said up to 30 emergency personnel and deputies planned to search a mountainous, six-mile stretch of trails south of Blairsville on Thursday. He said investigators have found no signs of foul play.

Temperatures reached 13 degrees with the wind chill factor in the single digits Wednesday night. Union County received snow Tuesday night – which canceled classes for that school system Wednesday and Thursday.

									_The Unknown Hiker_
#2 
									The story is now everywhere, but MSNBC seems to be following it best.  Their current coverage is

here.

The story says that the police have located the “person of interest” identified earlier, so all efforts now look to be focused on the search mission. The reports keep stressing her experience as a hiker, so lets hope that it will be enough to see her through. It doesn’t look good, though; her dog was found (alive) over 40 miles away at a grocery store, apparently having arrived there on it’s own. Fortunately, at least in wilderness survival terms, they haven’t found any of her other gear besides a water bottle, so she’s at least (assuming no foul play) still not without resources. Let’s all hope that that proves to be enough.

									_Strategic_