Lost hikers found in Hoosier Forest's Deam Wilderness

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Conservation officers located two lost hikers after a long search in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness of Hoosier National Forest, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Friday.

Monroe County dispatchers received a 911 call around 6 p.m. Thursday from Jason Craig, 44, of Valparaiso, requesting help because he and his wife were hiking in the southern Indiana wilderness and became lost.

Search crews comprising conservation officers and the Monroe Fire Protection District began searching the area by foot, all-terrain vehicle and boat, officers said.

Craig was located first but his wife, Hannah Daugherty, 36, remained missing. The two had separated when Daugherty became too exhausted to walk, and Craig left for help. The search for Daugherty was suspended overnight due to the steep terrain and other hazards in the area, officers said.

Crews from the DNR, Hoosier Nation Forest Service and the fire protection district resumed the search at sunrise Friday and located Daugherty at 9 a.m.

Both hikers were checked by medics and released, officers said.