Overview

• On Aug. 6, Santa Barbara’s Troop 26 found Douglas Montgomery, 78, cold, dehydrated and unsteady near Long Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness.
• The former Eagle Scout had fallen into a lake, lost his backpack with food and a GPS communicator, and spent a frigid night before trying to walk out.
• Scoutmaster M‑J Hey, trained in search and rescue, used a Garmin satellite messenger to relay his condition and coordinate help.
• A California Highway Patrol helicopter arrived from Fresno in about three hours, flew him to Kennedy Meadows, and reunited him with family.
• The episode reinforced lessons on carrying survival essentials, with the troop providing food and electrolytes while leaders kept parents informed via satellite.