Search for missing hunter goes into night
The search for Edward A. Hempel, a 63-year-old Post Falls hunter who went missing on Monday near Bernard Peak east of Farragut State Park, continued into the night on Wednesday.
Hempel was reportedly last seen on Monday around 1 p.m. when his hunting partner dropped him off in the rugged mountainous terrain near Bernard Peak in the northeast corner of Kootenai County.
The hunting partners split up and were supposed to meet between 3 and 4 p.m.
When Hempel didn’t show up, family and friends began to search for him with no luck. They contacted the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office around 11 a.m. on Tuesday to report him missing.
Wednesday night's search was expected to continue until it became too dangerous for searchers to be traversing in the terrain. The plan was to resume the search early this morning if Hempel wasn't found late Wednesday night.
The search has included the KCSO Volunteer Search and Rescue Unit, air units from Spokane County’s Air 1, the U.S. Air Force’s 36th Rescue Squadron from Fairchild Air Force Base and the U.S. Border Patrol’s air units.
Search members from Spokane County, Bonner County and Missoula County have also assisted with ground search teams, motorized units and dog search teams to supplement the local units.
As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, there were about 40 searchers looking for Hempel. The terrain in the area is steep, thickly-wooded and full of downed trees and brush that is hampering the search efforts.
The KCSO has received many offers of assistance in the form of volunteers, food and water from the community.
"At this time we have sufficient, trained search and rescue
members for the search," a KCSO press release states. "We are also amply supplied with food and water."
Hempel’s church brought dinner to the scene for the searchers, giving volunteers a much-needed break, the release states.
Hempel is described as a white male, 6-foot, about 200 pounds with blond hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing all camouflage hunting clothing and a camouflaged backpack with an orange cover.