Missing Hiker Found Alive Near Snowy Mount Whitney

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS (CBS SF) -- A high-elevation search team has rescued a Texas man who has been missing on snowy Mt. Whitney since last Thursday.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks rangers said Edward Lee Alderman of Austin had been airlifted to a hospital for medical care.

Searchers located the 33-year-old in the vicinity of Timberline Lake, several miles west of the summit of Mount Whitney, Sunday afternoon.

Alderman was reportedly alert despite injuries, fatigue and exposure to sub-freezing temperatures.

He was reported missing after failing to return from his hike to the summit of Mount Whitney. Helicopters searched the area from the air on Saturday, and ground searchers were deployed on Sunday, once a late-season winter storm cleared the area.

Alderman was located with the help of a tip from hikers who reported having heard a voice in the vicinity of Timberline Lake early Sunday morning.

"We are thrilled and relieved to report that Mr. Alderman is alive, safe, and on his way to definitive medical care," said Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Incident Commander Dave Fox.

"With large numbers of people heading into the wilderness this summer, we urgently remind everyone to prepare carefully for their trips and understand that there are real risks out there. We know that Mr. Alderman and his loved ones have been through a lot in the last few days and we're so glad he's going home."