BEND, Ore. -- Two hikers who didn’t know each other met up Tuesday while trying in vain to find a way back to the Tam McArthur Rim trailhead west of Bend, then called in rescuers, who found them in an eight-hour mission, officials said.

Nearly two-dozen Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue members and deputies took part in the operation that located Rick Marcotte, 71, of McMinnville, and Jonathan Monson, 19, of Owatonna, Minn., said Sgt. Scott Shelton.

Deputies and SAR members were dispatched around 4 p.m. to the area on a report of two lost hikers, Shelton said.

Both had left the trailhead Tuesday morning, intending to hike west toward Broken Hand, located southeast of Broken Top, about 4 1/2 miles from the trailhead, he said.

The hikers left at different times and met during the hike, in the area below Broken Hand, learning that they both did not know how to return down to the trailhead, near Three Creeks Lake, Shelton said.

The pair spent several hours trying to make their way out before calling 911 to seek help. Shelton said several phone calls were made, and an approximate location determined.

The two hikers were advised to stay put, as initially 10 SAR volunteers were dispatched to the area. More were called in later, as deputies staffed the incident management team.

Searchers eventually made audible contact with the lost hikers, then were able to find them near Broken Hand and led them back to the trailhead.

Both hikers were in good physical condition when found, Shelton said.

SAR has been out on missions involving five lost hikers in the past week, several in the same area, Shelton said, adding that the snow fields in the area could be confusing people. He urged people heading to the woods to carry a fully charged cell phone, a compass and a map.