Instead of mushroom picking, a search operation. “He was sitting on the ground with his head down.”
A trip to the forest is not always successful, as a senior who decided to go mushroom picking in November found out. Suddenly he completely lost his orientation in the area.
The situation took place near the town of Łaziska in the province. Greater Poland. That’s where the man wanted to look for mushrooms. The idea itself was good, especially since going to the forest, even for a walk, is good for health. However, you must remember to follow appropriate safety rules. After the man did not return home for a long time, his wife called for help. A search operation was initiated.
Senior lost in the forest
The information that the elderly man was missing caused considerable anxiety. The senior’s wife informed him that he was a sick person whose symptoms weakened his abilities. Foresters who had the necessary information immediately set out to search.
The man was alone, without proper preparation, and the temperature was dropping. Finding him was not easy, especially since the wife did not remember the exact location where her husband got lost. She only provided the names of the towns: Łaziska and Czarny Bród. The forest district pointed out that these are huge forest areas.
Drones helped find the man
Ultimately, the search operation took on large proportions. Only forest guard officers, but also the senior’s wife, were involved. A drone with a thermal imaging camera was used to find the man, thanks to which he was located after just a few minutes. “He was cold, disoriented, sitting on the ground with his head down” – this is how foresters described the sight they found there. “A little more and a tragedy could have occurred,” they added.
After the successful action, on the Facebook page “Nadleśnictwo Grodziec. State Forests” there were photos and a report from the event. “There were tears of happiness and thanks” – this is how the ending of the case was commented. It is known that the couple was transported to the place where their car was parked.
This situation may be a warning to others exploring the forests. “There are safety rules that are worth following,” the forest guards reminded. They emphasized that we should not distance ourselves from the people with whom we are going mushroom picking, and if we want to separate from the group, we must inform both the people accompanying us and a loved one waiting at home. People were reminded to take a phone, a flashlight, documents or a smartwatch with GPS with them.
