Ron Nurnberg, 71, of Cortez, reportedly sustained lots of scrapes and abrasions during his ordeal, but had no major injuries.
He was found on Stoner Mesa after activating his SPOT Locator, said Todd Jones, Rico fire chief, who helped in the search.
“Once it was turned on, the search helicopter honed in on the GPS coordinates,” he said. “He was quite a ways away from where he parked his truck.”
It wasn’t clear why the SPOT unit was not turned on earlier.
Several ground search crews were involved, including the Dolores County sheriff’s office, United Search and Rescue, Rico Fire, San Miguel Search and Rescue, Dolores Fire, and K-9 Search and rescue. Thirty people were involved in the ground search. They also rescued a dog Nurnberg had taken on the hike but got separated.
A helicopter and crew also participated in the search. And communications were aided by two F-16 fighter jets in the area that were from Buckley Air Force base, according to officials.
On Wednesday, the man’s truck was found parked about 8 miles up FS Road 545 — the Taylor Mesa Road — and the search spread out from there, covering the Priest Gulch, Calico and Stoner trail areas.
Nurnberg is an avid hiker who has a preference for loop hikes, officials said. He had no overnight gear.
He was reported missing by his wife.
The Durango Herald contributed to this report.
