St. Landry Parish, Louisiana - In a successful rescue operation, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents located a missing hunter in the Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in St. Landry Parish on October 10.
The search for the missing hunter began on October 9, around 11 a.m., after LDWF agents received a report of a missing person. According to authorities, a 69-year-old man had gone squirrel hunting in the Thistlethwaite WMA on the morning of October 8 but failed to return.
LDWF agents immediately launched a search operation, locating the missing hunter's vehicle on Peckham Road inside the WMA. The agents continued their search throughout the night and into the morning, using all-terrain vehicles to navigate the area.
On October 10, around 11 a.m., an LDWF agent on an all-terrain vehicle spotted the missing hunter walking on a trail. The agent provided the hunter with water and transported him back to his vehicle using the ATV.
Following the rescue, the missing hunter was taken to the Mercy Regional Medical Center in Ville Platte by Acadian Ambulance to receive treatment for non-life-threatening symptoms.
The successful rescue effort was a result of the collaborative efforts of LDWF agents, including Agent Hayden Byrd, Sgt. Tyler Smith, Lt. Lance Devillier, Corporal Jason Sanchez, Captain Ryan Faul, Lt. Cullom Schexnyder, and Sgt. David Boudreax. The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office deputies and their K9 unit also played a crucial role in the search operation.