The incredible handwritten note that saved mom and child's life after they got lost in huge California forest
Tami, 49, and her nine-year-old son, Stirling, were driving from Sacramento to a Cub Scouts trip at Camp Wolfeboro in Calaveras County on Friday.
However, Tami took a wrong turn and her car got stuck after the undercarriage hit a large bump.
'I started trying to call 911. I couldn't get any calls to go through,' Tami, who did not give her last name, told ABC10.
'[Stirling] started, blowing his Cub Scout whistle. He had learned what to do with that, and so we kept trying that for hours and eventually we realized we were gonna be stuck there for the night.'
After spending the night in the car, the mother and son duo decided to go search for help and left notes along the way in case anyone found them.
'HELP! Me and my son are stranded with no service and can't call 911,' one note said. 'We are ahead, up the road to the right. Please call 911 to get help for us.'
A second note said, 'HELP. Me and my son are stranded up the road to the right. Please get help for us. Follow the strips of brown sheet. Thank you!'
Tami (right), 49, and her nine-year-old son, Stirling (left), got lost in a California forest while driving to a Cub Scout camping trip
Rescuers were able to find the mother and son thanks to notes they left with directions to where they were located
Thankfully, members of the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team discovered the note and were able to bring the mother and son to safety.
'We didn't want to get lost from our car, so we did leave a note on our car saying that we were walking away by foot,' Tami said.
'I had a sheet in the car, so I, I tore the sheet up and we took the strips with us, and everywhere we walked, we hung those on the trees so that we would be able to get back to the car.'
When Tami and Sterling didn't show up at camp, the Calaveras County Dispatch Center received a report that the mother and son duo were overdue and not answering their phones.
The Calaveras County Volunteer Team happened to be conducting its monthly training session nearby and were sent to look for the pair, according to the sheriff's office.
'Very scary experience and the longer we were out there,' said Tami. 'The more we were worried that nobody was gonna come for us.
'Then we heard another honk and I turned around and I saw this truck coming down the road and it was just the best feeling ever.'
Due to the isolated location where rescuers found Tami and Sterling, they were unable to communicate their discovery to the command post via conventional radio frequencies or cell phone.
Tami took a wrong turn and her car got stuck after the undercarriage hit a large bump
As they were out searching, Stirling (pictured) blew his Cub Scout whistle to signal for help while his mother left the notes
'They utilized an amateur radio frequency, commonly known as HAM radio, to establish communication,' the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said.
'After broadcasting "emergency traffic" on the HAM radio, their call was immediately answered by a retired El Dorado County Communications Supervisor who was a HAM Operator monitoring frequencies from his home.'
Finally, rescuers were able to connect with their team and get the necessary equipment to recover Tami's car and get them back to their loved ones.
'It was just a very scary experience. In general, it was just really scary and and I'm also really emotional with all the support we got our friends, our family that got on the phones calling hospitals, calling 911,' Tami said.
'All the search and rescue people that helped us, they were, they were just, it's so amazing how dedicated they are.'
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