Volunteers from North Shore Rescue had a cold, soggy Sunday night after being called to save a young man who hiked into Lynn Headwaters Park alone and unprepared.
Daniel Woo, a 25-year-old from South Korea, headed out on Kennedy Falls Trail at around 1 p.m., which didn't give him enough time to get back before dark.
He eventually had to call 911 for help. With heavy rain pouring down, volunteers managed to reach his location in about 45 minutes, then spent another hour walking him back to safety.
"It's been a pretty wet night for our guys," search manager Allan McMordie said after the successful rescue.
Woo didn't put enough research into his hike before heading out, McMordie said, and he was not carrying the 10 essentials for hiking, including a light or proper clothing. Fortunately, crews brought extra clothes to give him on the trail.
North Shore Rescue also urges hikers to let someone know where they're going before they head out, just in case.
"Daniel's cellphone barely worked up there, and if he was not able to call out for help, we would not have known where he was or that he was even lost," McMordie said.
"He could very well have spent the night up there, and it's getting very cold. You can get hypothermic and can potentially even die up there being out on a cold, wet night like this."
Woo was very grateful to the crews who helped him down, describing the feeling of reaching safety after a wet and frightening experience on the mountain as "heaven."
"North Shore Rescue, thank you very much," he said. "I'm very, very happy."
Woo said he might go hiking again on the North Shore, but if he does he'll be following all of rescue crews' recommendations – especially when it comes to leaving plenty of time to get home in daylight.
