Missing snowboarder found at Issaquah apartment — and arrested

Unable to find his friends or his car, a 23-year-old snowboarder reported missing from Stevens Pass hitchhiked to a friend's apartment in Issaquah, unaware dozens of King County Sheriff's deputies and the ski patrol were combing the mountainside Sunday night for any trace of him.

And when authorities arrived at the apartment Monday morning, they found more than they bargained for: an outstanding drunken driving warrant.

"Issaquah Police were checking an address for him and found him there safe and sound, so they arrested him," said Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff'sDepartment.

The man, whom Urquhart declined to identify, was snowboarding with friends Sunday night when they became separated. His friends reported him missing to the authorities and moved the man's car to a better-lit area of the parking lot, thinking it would be easier for him to find.

When he made it to the parking lot, the man mistakenly thought they had left without him.

Urquhart said authorities believe alcohol may have played a role in the miscommunication.

Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com