Hiker Found in Canyon at Ragged Point

An Atascadero hiker was found after being missing for over two days in the Ragged Point area located in San Luis Obispo County.The 44-year-old Richard Gates was located in a canyon by helicopters that saw smoke from a small fire he had built. CHP helicopter hoisted him out of the canyon.Multiple search and rescue teams were sent out with search dogs tracking his scent. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office say that Gates began his hike on Saturday morning after he parked his car at the Ragged Point Inn.Gates’s wife filed a missing person report when he did not return home the next day. She states that it was not uncommon for Gates to spend an entire night out hiking and to not return until the following morning. Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue were dispatched early in the morning to assist SLO County Search and Rescue.He was found uninjured while in a clearing of the canyon.