By Roger Lanse

Saturday, Apr. 1, 2023, at about 12:23 p.m., James Lett, 59, of Sunrise Estates in Grant County, was reported missing by his 90-year-old mother. She told Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority dispatchers that her son had gone woodcutting on BLM land between Hanover and Vanadium at 3 p.m. the day before and had not returned. She stated her son had no phone as his was broken and he was waiting for a new one to arrive.

According to a Grant County Sheriff's Office offense report, after making contact with Lett's mother, Lett's name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

On Monday, Apr. 3, at about 11:42 a.m., deputies made contact with Lett at his home. He advised the following, the report said; "I am okay. I had a blowout on my right front driver's side tire and had no way to get home. The jack for my truck was broken so I was unable to change my tire."

Lett told the Beat that Friday afternoon, before cutting firewood, he started looking for minerals, forsaking firewood, but at sundown, he discovered his flat tire. He stayed in his truck Friday night with blankets and plenty of food and water, he said. Saturday, he hiked into Bayard, commenting no one would pick him up along the way, and by the time he was able to call his mother, it was again almost sundown. Lett figured the new bottle jack he purchased late Saturday afternoon would enable him to get his vehicle going, but he found the bottle jack to be faulty when he returned to his vehicle. The pressure relief valve blew out when he tried pumping up the jack letting all the hydraulic fluid run out. As he had to be dropped off by his mother a ways from his vehicle, and not counting on the new jack failing, Lett was forced to stay a second time in his truck Saturday night. However, Sunday morning, Lett stated, he was able to cobble together parts, plus moving the truck to more level ground, allowing him to change the flat tire and return home.

Lett said a bright spot during his adventure was the interest, Saturday evening, of 9-10 elk closely monitoring his predicament.

Deputies advised that Lett's name will be removed from NCIC as a missing person.