Authorities have located Vancouver man after night in Columbia River Gorge

Authorities have located a missing Vancouver man who spent the night near the Cascade Locks in Oregon and report that he appears to be OK.

Ron Fridell, 60, who went for a hike and then spent the night in the wilderness near Yeon State Park, made contact with his family by cell phone today.

“There were tears of joy,” Lt. Mary Lindstrand, a spokeswoman with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, said after the man contacted his family.

Fridell’s family had last heard from him at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. They alerted authorities that he had not returned home at about 11: 30 p.m. Wednesday.

Lindstrand said it could take Fridell about two hours to hike down to the park, located about 40 miles east of Portland.

Fridell phoned his wife at about 10:40 a.m. Searchers are with Fridell, hiking out of the woods.

About 18 searchers had been looking for Fridell since 2 a.m.

Fridell does not appear to have suffered any injuries, Lindstrand said.

“He seems to be doing just fine,” she said. “He said it was a beautiful night in the wilderness.”