Danny Filippidis called his wife shortly after noon Tuesday — roughly 4,500 kilometres from where the 49-year-old Toronto fire captain vanished six days earlier, prompting a massive search.

He was last seen making an afternoon run at a New York ski resort at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Feb. 7.

She told him to call 911 and get help. So he did — and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department responded.

Filippidis was found alone near the rental car terminal of Sacramento International Airport, still wearing his snow pants, jacket and had his goggles and ski helmet.

“We don’t know how he got there,” said Sacramento police Sgt. Shaun Hampton.

How or why Filippidis travelled across the United States without telling anyone remains a mystery.

“He wasn’t able to give those answers,” said Frank Ramagnano, president of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, who added that Filippidis seemed confused and needed medical help.

What happened to Filippidis in those six days remains unclear. However, it’s possible that he suffered a concussion or head trauma.

“He indicated that he thought he may have sustained some type of head injury,” Hampton said.

American authorities were in possession of the man’s passport, so it was unlikely he flew to California, Ramagnano said.

Filippidis was part of a group of off-duty and retired firefighters, friends, and family making an annual ski trip. The group was scheduled to return home that night.

Ramagnano said just before Filippidis went missing, he was skiing with a friend who got tired and wanted to stop. Filippidis decided to go for one more run. It would be another week before he was seen again.

Filippidis went missing about the same time as a strong snowstorm was making visibility poor, New York State Police Information Officer Jennifer Fleishman said earlier.

Ramagnano applauded the 100 Toronto firefighters who volunteered to help search for the missing fire captain. Eighty of them were still scouring Whiteface Mountain on Tuesday when Filippidis was found.

“We use the term ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters,’ and I’m glad they aren’t just words,” Ramagnano said.

Ramagnano said he had personally travelled to Lake Placid, and saw the search in action. He also made a point of speaking to Filippidis’s family.

“I spoke to his wife, I spoke to his son. To see the pain in their eyes — I’m glad that they have (Danny) back,” he said.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority, which runs the Whiteface ski centre, was leading the search. Ramagnano thanked police officers from New York and California departments, Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security for their efforts.

Officials say more than 140 people spent a combined 7,000 hours searching the rugged mountain terrain, calling in helicopters and search dogs to assist.

“We are all very relieved to know that he is safe, following what has been an exhaustive search operation,” said Toronto fire chief Matthew Pegg.

Ramagnano wasn’t sure if any mental health issues might have led to his disappearance.

“I’m not aware of any history of mental illness,” Ramagnano said.

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Filippidis was taken to a hospital in Yolo County, west of Sacramento International Airport, for treatment, Sgt. Hampton said.

An investigation into Filippidis’s disappearance continues.

With files from Fakiha Baig and Star wire services