Lost Mushroom Pickers Safely Located in Forest (video)
Yesterday evening, the Vilnius County Police dispatch centre received an emergency call reporting two mushroom pickers (born in 1956 and 1959) lost in the forest near Sankeliai Village, Mickūnai Eldership, Vilnius District. The men were disoriented and unable to locate their parked vehicle or find a way out of the forest.
A patrol team from the Response Board was immediately dispatched to the search area and was soon joined by additional police units.
Officers drove slowly along forest roads with their blue and red emergency lights and sirens activated. They hoped the men would hear the siren and follow the sound, which would lead them towards the officers. Although officers located the men’s “Volvo”, searches of the surrounding area did not reveal their whereabouts.
Officers contacted the men by phone, but they were unable to say exactly where they were. When asked whether they had seen a road, a clearing or any other landmarks, the men said they had not noticed anything. They had neither heard the police sirens nor seen the emergency lights. During the call, it became clear that both men were distressed and struggling to make sense of their situation.
Volunteer search-and-rescue teams equipped with drones joined the operation. Although the initial aerial scan was unsuccessful, police officers continued searching the perimeter. Upon receiving updated intelligence regarding the potential location of the missing men, officers redeployed the drones to search the revised coordinates.
At approximately 15:00 today, the drones spotted the missing men near a marshy section of the forest. Both individuals were found safe and unharmed, albeit cold, wet and exhausted. They did not require medical assistance.
It was later established that the men had driven their “Volvo” to the unfamiliar forest to pick mushrooms at around 8:00. Despite initially intending to stay close to their vehicle, they gradually strayed deeper into the forest and lost their bearings, eventually calling for emergency assistance when they realised they could not find their way out.
Thanks to the persistent search efforts of officers and the use of additional resources, the incident was resolved successfully.
Last updated: 26-10-2026
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