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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 20, 2006 Wandering snowboarder found By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A 21-year-old snowboarder who got lost Sunday afternoon on Mount Ashland was rescued after nightfall suffering from mild hypothermia. James Williams, a Southern Oregon University student, was discovered by Jackson County Search and Rescue about eight miles from the mountain and about three miles above Lithia Park. "He got tired and went to sleep," said Lt. Pat Rowland, who headed the 12-man search-and-rescue operation. "He’s lucky that he woke up. He knew he had to start moving. He was getting numb." A medic treated Williams at the scene for about 30 minutes before he was released. Rowland said Williams was last seen about 3 p.m. Sunday. A snowboarder friend came down the mountain about 4:30 p.m. and notified authorities that Williams was missing. Advertisement Rowland said he was notified about 6 p.m. and brought up snowmobiles and snow cats to begin the search operation. Williams had left the boundary of the ski area and had thought he could find his way back, said Rowland. Instead, unable to find his way back to the ski area, Williams followed a creek downhill. "He was unprepared for it," said Williams. "He didn’t have the right clothing." He had on a light ski parka that had become wet. Rowland said a sign of hypothermia is fatigue, but falling asleep is usually the worst thing to do. While Williams was making his way down the hill, search-and-rescue vehicles were combing the roads leading up to the mountain. They flashed emergency lights and turned on sirens periodically. Rowland said that Williams was lucky he didn’t spend the night on the mountain, where temperatures hovered at 18 degrees. He was found around 10 p.m. Rowland said Williams would have likely made his way to Ashland, although he would have had a difficult time making it through the night. "He was thankful when we found him," he said. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement