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Searcher finds Fredericksburg man missing in Shenandoah Park for five days Date published: 11/3/2007
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
A 40-year-old Fredericksburg man who disappeared into the Shenandoah National Park woods five days ago was found yesterday about a mile from where he was last seen. Don Savage, a park firefighter, discovered Christopher David Beach in a 24-inch culvert beneath U.S. 211 about 11 a.m. "It was the end point of this group's search area," said park spokeswoman Karen Beck-Herzog. "Searching culverts was one of his responsibilities and when he looked into the pipe he saw a form and alerted others." Beach, who disappeared into the mountain about 6 p.m. Sunday, was alert and responsive. "He said he was thirsty," Beck-Herzog said. Beach was transported by helicopter to Winchester Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. "He had scratches on his arms and legs that would indicate he had been walking through brush and briars," Beck-Herzog said. "He said he had been on the move, and we feel he had been in the culvert a relatively short time." The culvert where he was found had been searched at least once earlier this week. Beach walked off into the mountain after he and his fiancee parked at Panorama, a former restaurant at Thornton Gap where U.S. 211 and the Skyline Drive intersect. His girlfriend described him as being "despondent" when he left. Beach had a jacket with him at the time. It was found by searchers earlier this week. He was wearing a T-shirt when he was found on the Luray side of the mountain, about a mile from where he disappeared. Temperatures in the park dipped into the high 20s Monday and Tuesday mornings. Beck-Herzog did not know whether Beach had eaten during the past five days. More than 100 park employees and volunteers, including members of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, had been part of the five-day search. Last winter, a similar search ended when officials learned that the person in question had hitchhiked out of the park. Donnie Johnston:Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com
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