On February 1, 2024, at approximately 12:05 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a call about an overdue hiker by the name of Joseph Aaron Seiberling of Davis, CA.  According to his family, he arrived in Shelter Cove on January 28, 2024 to hike towards the Punta Gorda Lighthouse along the Lost Coast Trail.  His last communication with his family was on January 29, 2024, when he sent them a picture of the beach along with his exact location. 

On February 1, 2024, at about 9:24 a.m. Joseph was located alive and well in the Black Sands Trailhead parking lot by the USCG and a member of the Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the USCG, the Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for their assistance in coordinating agency response from across the state.

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