Search crews gather near the trailhead at Laurel Hill Ski Area in Pennsylvania. (Elkland Search and Rescue/Facebook Photo)

Lost PA Hiker Used Hand Sanitizer, Lighter to Stay Warm

A lost hiker in Pennsylvania recently used hand sanitizer and a lighter to start a fire and survive freezing overnight temperatures before being rescued in the morning. 

Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 18, Pennsylvania State Police asked Elkland Search and Rescue to help them find a hiker who was missing with his dog near Laurell Mill Ski Area in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. 

Crews searched through the night, including using drones and a helicopter. Temperatures dipped to roughly 20 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. 

In the morning, authorities received a call from a hunter who had located the hiker and was walking him back to the ski area trailhead.

The hiker was reportedly cold, sore, and hungry, but otherwise okay. The hiker said he used his hand sanitizer and a lighter to build a small fire to keep warm overnight.