VAN BUREN, Ark. — The Crawford County Department of Emergency Management celebrated a successful rescue after a mother and two kids got lost while hiking at the Lee Creek Reservoir on Tuesday.
The Lee Creek Reservoir is just north of Van Buren and Fort Smith. The park's fishing and miles of trails make it a popular destination close to the city.
Tim Jones is the president of the Crawford County Search and Rescue team and claims the area to be like his "backyard."
"Lifelong resident of Crawford County, I as well as all my family and their distant relatives. We've been here for quite some time. So these hills are nothing new," Jones explained.
On March 19, his experience with the area would prove crucial in a rescue. A mom and two children went out for a hike on the Homestead Trail around 5 p.m.
"They were indicating that they had a friend that had been up here and liked to come up in the area that was really familiar, but that friend didn't come with them. They had decided to come up here just because it was close, and it was one of the things they wanted to do. You know, as part of spring break this week to get out and do something in nature," Jones said.
While the path is marked with unique features like gravestones to follow, Jones explained that once dusk falls, it can be hard to find your way in a maze of trees and trails.
"If you're not familiar with the trails that you're hiking on, once it gets dark, it becomes a lot more difficult, and a lot more likely that you may end up getting turned around and not be able to find your way back," Jones said.
Jones said he'd been notified at 7:45 p.m. for the rescue. It only took the Crawford County team until 8:25 p.m. to find the hikers.
"Based on their description, and the GPS location, I knew exactly where they were at on the trail. And were able to hike in and go straight to where they were," Jones said.
The area where the hikers were found was close in distance to the parking lot. Jones said the group felt like they were walking in circles and kept returning to the same spot. The issue was that a valley separated them, and any wrong turn could have taken them to the edge of some steep bluffs.
"We've had people up here that have that have fallen and gotten hurt that we've had to carry out," Jones said.
Jones suggests that anyone looking to hike should start earlier in the day to capture more sunlight. He also suggests hikers carry a whistle so emergency crews can locate without the need for technology.
"Electronics fail, batteries go dead. So it's always best to have a map and a compass and know how to use those things. But also plan for an extended timeout, you know, when I hike personally, I'll have extra food, extra water, and even basic provisions in the event that I did have to spend the night that I could do it somewhat comfortably," Jones said.
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