GRANGEVILLE — Searchers continued looking Friday for a 76-year-old Nezperce woman missing from a hunting camp in the Selway River area since Oct. 2.
But the active search was called off Thursday for a Maryland man who walked away from a filming crew Oct. 5 near Orogrande, the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office announced.
The U.S. Air Force, ground crews and six dog teams have been scouring the Fog Mountain area near Big Rock where Johnson and her border collie, Ace, were last seen. Johnson, an experienced outdoorswoman, is working as a cook for a hunting camp for Richie Outfitters of Salmon, Idaho.
The hunters temporarily left the camp, and when they returned three days later Johnson was not there.
Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings said the hunters had radio contact with Johnson Oct. 3, but were unable to understand what she was saying.
The camp is accessible only by horseback or on foot, and there were no vehicles nearby.
The decision to cut back the active search for Terrence Woods, 27, was made Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office reported, after seven days of aerial, ground and dog searches turned up no leads.
Woods reportedly walked away Oct. 5 from a London filming crew that was working on a project at the Penman Mine near Orogrande, about 40 miles southeast of Grangeville.
The search did not begin until Oct. 6, but ground searchers from the U.S. Forest Service, the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Fish and Game Department were aided by the Back Country Rescue helicopter team from Clearwater County.
On Monday, a helicopter team from Fairchild Air Force Base also did some aerial searches, although the aircraft was unable to fly Tuesday because of weather. Flying resumed Wednesday and continued until Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office will continue to monitor the area, and anyone with information about Woods is asked to call (208) 983-1100.
Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.
