Two Missing Orange County Firefighters Confirmed Found in Yosemite

FULLERTON, CA — Two missing Fullerton firefighters were found Tuesday after they both failed to appear Sunday at the Yosemite National Forest White Wolf campground at the end of their six-day backpacking trip.

Fullterton firefighter Dave Brown reportedly walked into a ranger station in Yosemite today, just before 11 a.m. Capt. Javier Avelar was found later by a ground-crew search team, according to Fullerton Fire Department Chief Wolfgang Knabe.

Within hours of being found, the two were headed home after what their boss described as a "life-changing" experience for them.

Fellow Fullerton-Brea firefighters were escorting Dave Brown and Javier Avelar back to the Southland this evening, with the nine traveling in three vehicles, Fullerton fire Chief Wolfgang Knabe told City News Service.

"They're pretty exhausted physically and emotionally. We'll do a checkup on them when we get them back to SoCal," he said.

"It was a real harrowing experience for them," Knabe said. "We didn't want to talk them too much yet. But for everything they've been through, they're in good spirits and glad to be with family and going home. It was an experience for them, a pretty life-changing experience."

Brown and Avelar had been expected to return from their trip Sunday. Brown walked into a ranger station this morning, Knabe said, and Avelar was found later by a ground-crew search team.

"They're experienced backpackers, they're in good shape, they've been here before and they know the area,'' he said. "And they did everything right as far as making a plan, getting the right permits and letting the park service know.''

Brown and Avelar were initially reported missing Sunday evening following a backpacking trip through Yosemite. The two were reportedly on a six-day hike in Yosemite National Park and did not emerge as planned.

The firefighters planned to start their backpacking trip in White Wolf and then go through Pleasant Valley over Rancheria Mountain to stay on the north side of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and then hike to the Smith Meadow trail, back to the White Wolf Campground according to a missing persons flier distributed in Yosemite.

The two were reported missing Sunday, according to Fullerton-Brea Fire Division Chief Kathy Schaefer.

Fullerton Fire Department Firefighters Javier Avelar, left, and Dave Brown, right. Courtesy Yosemite National Park