A 70-year-old hiker was found alive and safe Wednesday morning after spending five days alone in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, authorities said.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 text about 8 a.m. Wednesday from someone stating they were with a missing person, according to a sheriff’s office social media post. The person was later identified as 70-year-old Warren Elliott.

A California Highway patrol helicopter picked up Elliott and took him to the command post at Homewood Mountain Resort, officials said.

“Mr. Elliott was greeted by cheers and clapping and was then reunited with his family, which was an emotional moment for everyone,” according to the post.

Elliott had gone out for a walk on Friday around 3 p.m. in a familiar area but when he walked back to the camping area in Rubicon Springs, he went the wrong way, officials said. He ate berries and drank from the river to sustain himself. He was found “in good spirits” and uninjured.

He was last seen near Cadillac Hill and was found about nine miles away at Hell Hole Reservoir, but he walked more than that in the five days he was missing, authorities said.

There were between 50 and 100 searchers — from 10 agencies across the state — every day looking for Elliott, authorities said. Much of the search focused on the Rubicon trail, a 22-mile route in the Sierra Nevada, west of Lake Tahoe.

Elliott had been working with others clearing trails ahead of a weekend Jeep Jamboree — a guided, family-oriented adventure for off-road enthusiasts. He was a passenger in his son’s Jeep and disappeared after leaving the group Friday.

Lander County, east of Reno, has the highest median income in the state of Nevada, according to a new study.

The median income in the county sits at $108,000 per household, which beats Elko County ($106,500) and Douglas County ($101,900). Clark County came in at No. 13 ($87,800), according to a National Low Income Housing Coalition report.

Brian Bonnenfant, project manager for the Center for Regional Studies at the University of Reno, said one industry put Lander County atop the list.

“It’s directly attributed to mining jobs. Most miners that live in Lander County are employed at the mines in Humboldt County and Eureka County,” he said. “The average weekly wages for mining employment in this region is near $2,000 per week, or $100,000 per year, according to the Nevada Department of Employment. And that’s just for an individual.”

Spreading over 5,519 square miles, Lander County’s population is about 5,734, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median age in the county is 40, which is one year higher than the state median.

The county with the lowest median income is Mineral County ($61,000).

When it comes to metros within Nevada, according to the coalition study, Las Vegas comes in second ($87,800), behind Reno ($101,200), but ahead of Carson City ($87,200).

The richest area in the Las Vegas Valley is the master-planned community of Summerlin as the median household income in the community is well above the average, according to new data from Applied Analysis.

The Las Vegas-based research firm’s statistics show the median household income in Summerlin is $100,579, compared to $68,275 in the valley. Approximately 6.3 percent of Summerlin residents make $500,000 or more, which is higher than the valley’s average at 1.7 percent.

Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.

A 70-year-old hiker was found alive Wednesday after spending five days lost in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.

Warren Elliott was spotted around 8 a.m. by another hiker passing by California’s Hell Hole Reservoir, about 10 miles west of Lake Tahoe, officials announced.

Thrilling video shows the exhausted man wearing tattered clothing and gripping a water bottle embracing his relieved family at the command post at Homewood Mountain Resort after he was finally airlifted to safety.

Elliott was miraculously walking without assistance — earning a hearty round of applause and cheers from bewildered rescue officials, the footage shows.

He was also handed back his beloved cowboy hat, which he left behind when he went on what he thought was to be a brief, leisurely walk.

The tenacious hiker said he was familiar with the area, but made a devastating wrong turn around 3 p.m. Friday.

He was camping in Rubicon Springs with a group doing trail rehab ahead of an upcoming car event dubbed the Jeepers Jamboree, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.

Elliott survived the excruciating five days by drinking water from the river and munching on foraged berries.

“From the point he was last seen, near Cadillac Hill, to the area he was found, Hell Hole Reservoir, is roughly 9 miles as the crow flies; however, he walked much further than that over the five days,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Mr. Elliott was not hurt and is in good spirits.”

Elliott’s disappearance sparked a massive manhunt that included as many as 100 rescuers per day, Blackhawk helicopters, drones, dog teams and ATVs.

Even workers from the Jeepers Jamboree pitched in by feeding rescuers and providing a place to camp overnight.

Eliott’s tale of survival comes just days after a missing 75-year-old retired teacher was found alive after being stuck in a bog for four days.

Mike Altmaier was walking through the Maine woods when he slipped on moss and fell over an embankment.