73-year-old WA man who vanished ‘collecting plants’ found in Oregon woods, cops say

A 73-year-old Washington man was found in the Oregon wilderness two days after he went missing while collecting plants with his family, police said.

Family members said Sang Kwon Sa of Vancouver went missing around 5:30 p.m. Sunday while collecting “mountain greens” in Yamhill County, Capt. Chris Ray, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told McClatchy News.

Search and rescue teams from multiple agencies worked to find Sa for days, using a helicopter, drones, ATVs, search dogs and around 100 volunteers, according to a news release posted to the sheriff’s Facebook page.

Around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, a Yamhill deputy used his own private helicopter and found Sa in a field about seven miles north of Grand Ronde. Deputies flew him to Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville to receive care, the sheriff’s office said.

“This search was truly an all-hands-on deck effort,” said Yamhill Sheriff Tim Svenson. “The cooperation of the workers and volunteers resulted in a life being saved. You can’t ask for anything better.”