March 19, 2008
Hiker Missing on Mt. Rainier

Mt. Rainier photo courtesy of Seattlest Flickr Contributor, mraaronmorris
A search for a missing hiker on Mt. Rainier continued at daylight this morning. The search for Devin Ossman began Monday night after park rangers spotted his car, and his wife reported him missing.
The 45 year-old man from Mukilteo arrived at Mt. Rainier on March 17th for a day hike and has not been heard from since. A ranger spotted Ossman's vehicle near Kautz Creek, but a search of the area by bloodhounds did not locate the man. The search team did spot tracks at 3,400 feet that they believe belong to him. Ossman may be wearing a flannel plaid shirt, black suede jacket, black scarf, gray cap with white stripes, and wire-rimmed glasses.
**Update: Seattlest is sad to report, Devin Ossman was found dead today by a search team. The cause of his death was exposure.



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Seattlest is sad to report that Devin Ossman was found dead today on Mt. Rainier. The hiker is suspected to have died from exposure.
Always bring your ten-essentials guys! A day hike can easily turn into a matter life or death with the slightest misturn, change in weather, or accident.
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Oh, this is sad. There's a color poster of him from his parents in our employee lunch room, asking anyone who sees him to report his whereabouts. I've been looking at that face for a week now, wondering. :(
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What are the 10 essentials?
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I always taught then 10 essentials as the following:
first aid
shelter (like a space blanket, for emergency bivouac)
food (for at least one day)
water
map
compass (with mirror to signal rescue)
extra clothes/layers (including rain gear)
fire starter/matches
pocket knife
flashlight
it might seem heavy to carry all this stuff on a day hike, but considering the alternative, it is well well worth it.