A 78-year-old Aberdeen man lost his way during his daily walk Friday, but Aberdeen Police were able to locate the man a few hours later in a swampy area of the Lake Swano trail.

When the man failed to return home, his wife reported him missing. Responding officers found the man’s vehicle at the beginning of the Lake Swano trail, entered the woods and began calling the man’s name. Two groups of officers met at the floating bridge at the south end of the lake without locating any sign of the missing person or his dog.

Searchers continued further south to the swampy end of the lake and the man responded to the officer’s yells, according to Aberdeen Police Lt. Kevin Darst. The man was on the west side of the swamp where there were no trails. Officers had to make a trail to the man from the east side of the swamp and then cross the swamp while stepping on grass and crossing downed logs. The missing man was located and officers assisted him across the swamp while carrying his small dog.

It took officers almost two hours to locate and rescue the man from the wooded area. He was escorted back to the trail head where his condition was checked by the Aberdeen Fire Department.