Hunters found after spending night lost

MOSES LAKE - Two hunters were rescued from Potholes Reservoir Sunday morning after being trapped in the area overnight.

Grant County Sheriff's Office received a cellphone call from Russ Wiedner, 63, Tulsa, Okla., and Joe Wiedner, 33, of Spokane, Saturday at around 7 p.m. saying they were lost and had become separated from each other while searching for help, chief deputy Courtney Conklin said Monday.

After two hours of searching, deputies and marine patrol decided the duo was too far in the reservoir and they could no longer safely navigate the area, according to Conklin.

Deputies told the father- and-son hunting team they would have to stay in the dunes area overnight until officials could resume their search in the morning, he said.

"Luckily, the two were already in proper hunting gear and they brought enough water and clothes to wear for the night," said Conklin.

He said the incident occurred 10 miles south of Moses Lake.

Officials resumed the search Sunday morning with the help from the Jackson Flight Center.

The men were located and led to safety, said Conklin. They were not injured.

The incident marks the second lost persons case the sheriff's office has had to respond to this year, he said.

"We just want to make sure people who are hunting are prepared and packed for survival. We want to let people know they need to be prepared should their outings extend outside of their control," said Conklin.

With many shallow areas in the Potholes Reservoir, it is common for boats to run aground in the middle of nowhere, said Conklin.