A Wentzville man is safe after being the focus of a major manhunt last week at Golden Hills Trail Rides and Resort near Raymondville.
Texas County Sheriff James Sigman said his department was contacted Wednesday morning by relatives who expressed concern about 39-year-old Joshua Close. Sigman said the man’s whereabouts was narrowed down to Golden Hills, and his car was found there early Wednesday afternoon.
A search party of more than 20 from several agencies were involved in the search effort, combing Golden Hills’ 5,000 acres and hundreds of miles of roads and trails on ATVs, in trucks and on foot. Assisting the TCSD were personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Houston Rural, Raymondville and Cabool fire departments, and some of the man’s friends and family.
Sigman said a Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter had also been involved Wednesday afternoon.
Golden Hills owner Chuck Golden said Close showed up at the resort’s office at about 2 p.m. Saturday, tired and dirty, but unharmed and in good shape. Golden said Close had headed west along a stream branch, but had become disoriented and lost, ending up a significant distance off the huge Golden Hills tract.
“He hadn’t shaved in days and I had to ask him if he was really Josh,” Golden said. “He was glad to be back; I thought the sheriff and all the other people involved did a good job.”
Close’s father, Edward Close, helped in the search effort. He is a Texas County native and is very familiar with the territory now occupied by Golden Hills.