Fresno Man Rescued After Six-Day Search Near Pine Flat Lake

On July 4, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced that 70‑year‑old Rondy Packard Sr., who had been missing since June 28 while on a fishing trip near Pine Flat Lake, was rescued after a six‑day search.

A volunteer Air Squadron member spotted his pickup truck about 20 miles northeast of the lake; search teams arrived about 90 minutes later and located Packard within 500 feet of the vehicle. A California Highway Patrol helicopter hoisted him to safety and he was taken to a hospital, where officials said he was “alive, alert and in good health” and did not suffer major injuries. Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Lt. Kathy Curtis called the rescue “really, really, really happy news,” adding that his family was “incredibly ecstatic.”