After six days of searching, State Police said Tuesday the Toronto firefighter assumed missing on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks was found alive in California.

Constantinos "Danny" Filippidis, a 49-year-old Canadian, contacted local authorities near Sacramento, Calif., ending a massive search for him in Wilmington, Essex County, troopers said.

"The circumstances regarding this case are under investigation, and further details will be released at a later time," the State Police said in a statement.

The search included at least six government agencies, two ski patrols and several local volunteers. More than 135 people spent a combined 7,000 hours on the rugged mountain in varying winter weather conditions, officials said Monday. Helicopters and search dogs were also called in to assist.

State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said Tuesday that the agency did not yet have an estimate on how much money the massive search cost the state.

Filippidis had been last seen at the Whiteface Mountain ski resort's mid-station about 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7. He was part of a group of Toronto firefighters making their annual ski trip. His colleagues reported him missing at 4:30 p.m., when he did not return from his last run of the day. Police found his car, passport and other identification cards at the resort, officials said.

Around midday on Tuesday, Filippidis called his wife, who was in Lake Placid meeting with the search party, said Frank Ramagnano, president of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association.

"Apparently he was confused and he wasn't able to give direct answers," Ramagnano said during a news conference in Toronto broadcast by CTV News.

"He called her by a nickname. She quickly recognized the voice and that it was him, and then they lost contact. He contacted her again and they kept him on the phone and asked him to call 911 to get him help as soon as possible."

Police in Sacramento found Filippidis still wearing the ski clothing he had on when he disappeared, including his helmet and goggles, the union president said. Filippidis was given medical attention and taken to a local hospital, where he later spoke with his two children on the phone, Ramagnano said.

The union president said he is unaware of Filippidis having any illness related to mental health or substance abuse.

"I don't know how he got there or why he got there," Ramagnano said in an earlier interview with the Times Union. "Rightfully so, it is under investigation. ... No matter what they discover, it doesn't take away from the nearly 200 people who came together to help."

Roughly 80 Toronto firefighters and 40 New York state forest rangers worked on the search team, which also included dozens of other state and federal employees as well as volunteers. A few minor injuries were reported.

"We are so grateful to New York state," Ramagnano said. "Everything was done extremely professionally."

The union president said the search party was "so thorough" that, when they had not located Filippidis by the sixth day, the crew was deeply puzzled. He said the collaboration between six state and federal agencies was so well organized "you'd think it was just one" agency involved.

Ramagnano also thanked local businesses in the Lake Placid area, who donated hotel rooms and restaurant meals, and the volunteers who donated their time to the search.

The union president visited the search area over the weekend and meet with Filippidis' family.

"To see the pain in their eyes, I'm glad that they have their dad back," Ramagnano said during the news conference in Toronto. "And also I quite honestly didn't know what I was going to do with the seven of eight (firefighters) when they came back, the guilt they were feeling. So I am happy the situation turned out positive."