The Austin firefighter who went missing and was then found during a hiking trip in Oregon is doing well and is in excellent spirits, the Austin Fire Department said Saturday.
He is doing so well, in fact, that he and a fellow firefighter are planning on staying a few more days and completing their vacation.
Devin Paez, 26, was visiting Oregon with friends when he disappeared Thursday while hiking near Wahkeena Falls, a popular hiking spot along the Columbia River east of Portland, officials said.
Paez and two fellow Austin firefighters had hiked to the top of Larch Mountain when Paez decided to go back down the trail to retrieve a backpack he had left approximately a half a mile away. The other two firefighters waited a while before going back down the trail, too.
Paez made a wrong turn while coming down the trail to find his backpack, the fire department said. As the sun began to set, Paez found himself on the dark side of the mountain and slipped, causing him to roll down about 50 feet.