WORLAND — On Aug. 9 and 10, the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and the Washakie County Search and Rescue Squad (WCS&R) were called out to search for a missing 80-year-old male subject, identified as Jim Cornegg.

Cornegg had gone missing in the west Little Gooseberry Creek drainage area while conducting paleontology and fossil searches.

About nine Washakie County Search and Rescue members, four Washakie County Sheriff’s deputies, two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Law Enforcement rangers and one Hot Springs County deputy with their drone assisted in the search.

Searchers began checking the area on Sunday evening, Aug. 9, until around 4:40 a.m. with negative results. Search resumed again first thing in the morning on Monday, Aug. 10.

Additional ground search units and more air assets were being called in to search. However, around 8:10 a.m. on Monday Cornegg called in from Dave Donley’s house, advising that he was OK.

Donley gave Cornegg some food and water and then waited for sheriff’s unit to arrive on scene. Cornegg told responding deputies that he had started to walk back to his camp early, as the other two workers he was with walked a little faster, so he left first.

Cornegg said on the way back to camp he became disoriented and lost his way. He did have food and water, but was running out. He said he spent the night out under the stars and walked out in the morning.

Cornegg was not hurt or injured, but was a little thirsty and Donley gave him much needed water. Cornegg added that he was not going to tell his kids what happened, but might tell his grandkids the tale one day.

On Aug. 8 WCS&R squad was called out to assist Johnson County Search and Rescue for several lost hikers up in the Powder River/Outlaw Cave campgrounds, Powder River Pass and Hazelton Road areas. About eight WCS&R members, plus a WCSO deputy assisted with the search.

The hikers were eventually found and were safe.