By: Pepper Fisher

JOYCE – Two mushroom pickers who got lost in the woods near Joyce Tuesday were found safe but scared by a team of search and rescue volunteers.

The women, 65-year-old Darlene Wilcox and 42-year-old Michelle Clayton were reported overdue by family members just before midnight. The vehicle they were using was found parked at the DNR gate on Highway 112 across from Dempsey Road.

It was reported that the women did not have any food, water, and that their cell phone battery died when they called family members for help. A deputy checked the area and was able to hear the women off in the distance but could not find them due to the dense forest and terrain.

Volunteers with the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team were called out. The team was able to establish voice contact with the lost pair and found them about 20 minutes later and led them back to their vehicle.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office is using this example to remind those who plan on venturing out into the wilderness to bring the following essentials in case of an emergency: extra clothes, water, and food; matches or a fire starter kit; a knife, flashlight, map and compass, a signal device like a whistle, a first aid kit, and something that can be used as a shelter.