JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A First Coast woman who had been missing for more than 48 hours after going hiking alone in Washington state’s Olympic Mountains has been found alive Monday night.
Stephanie Lincoln of Ponte Vedra was vacationing in Olympic National Park with her husband. Friends tell First Coast News she had left for a day hike on a trail called Rugged Ridge at about 9 a.m. Pacific time Saturday morning and was expected back about six hours later.
Lincoln, a retired U.S. Army captain, is well-trained and experienced for the outdoors. Just hours before she was found, loved ones shared their hope and concern.
“If it comes to mother nature and her, she has a very good chance,” her former platoon sergeant Keith Schiffer told First Coast News early Monday evening. But at that time he couldn’t know with certainty that she was alive, and voiced concern that foul play was a possibility.
“Stephanie is like a daughter to me,” Schiffer said, recalling that as one of her superiors in her early days he noticed an unusual tenacity about her. He said that she was also meticulous about preparation, using her hikes as an example.
“She always carried a medical backpack, she always carried a firearm for protection,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of Lincoln’s husband, who was distraught and declined an interview in the hours before his wife was found, close friend Scott Museles described Lincoln’s sensibilities similarly.
“Think about a disciplined military officer and what they would do if they’re going out. That’s what she would do,” Museles said. “She’s competent, she’s strong, she’s got a lot of grit.”
Apparently that grit paid off. A search crew saw Lincoln waving up at their helicopter as they passed over her Monday afternoon. As of Monday evening, there were no details about her injuries but family and friends confirmed to First Coast News that she had been taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.