The Sitka Fire Department rescued a hiker on Mount Verstovia on Saturday (6-20-26). According to a Fire Department Facebook post, the visitor lost sight of Verstovia Trail and wandered off the maintained path.
The department said the unnamed hiker reported he was lost to a 911 dispatcher on Saturday evening. The fire department mobilized an Incident Management Team and two field teams to go up and locate him.
The hiker had cell reception and stayed in contact with the fire department during the search. He shared his GPS location with responders, though it was ultimately several hundred feet off, the post said.
After a two-hour search, responders found him around 7 p.m. nearly a quarter mile off the trail in a steep ravine. Responders gave the hiker food and water before setting off on an hour-long descent toward Jamestown Drive. The four-person rescue crew and hiker made it down the mountain around 10:30 p.m. with no reported injuries.
The Fire Department reminded hikers to bring enough food and water, and make sure communication and navigation devices are fully charged when exploring.
