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The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Mother and son dramatically rescued in California after authorities discover SOS notes
A pair of handwritten notes helped California authorities track down a missing mother and her young son who were stranded in a dense, remote forest for more than 24 hours. Tami Laird, 49, and her son Stirling, 9, left their Roseville home Friday afternoon to embark on a three-hour journey to Camp Wolfeboro, a children's summer camp along the North Fork of the Stanislaus River, authorities said. The pair, who were identified by the San Francisco Chronicle, followed a GPS route that led them off the beaten path and into a maze of logging trails and forest service roads, where they eventually became lost. Traversing deeper into the woodland, Laird lost signal on her cellphone, making it impossible to retrace their steps. After repeatedly bottoming out, the Laird's Nissan Sentra eventually got stuck, leaving the woman and her son digging at the dirt with their hands as they tried – and failed – to free the vehicle. By luck, Laird had stashed a stack of maps in her car and began to scrawl notes on the back while her son periodically blew a whistle three times in quick succession – an international signal for distress. They also left a trail of rocks on the road to point in their direction in case the notes blew away, Calaveras County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lieutenant Greg Stark told ABC News. They tore up an old brown sheet and tied strips onto branches so they could find their way back to the car. 'HELP. Me and my son are stranded with no service and can't call 911. We are ahead, up the road to the right. Please call 911 to get help for us. Thank you!,' Laird wrote on one piece of paper, held down by rocks and taped to the road. '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,' she penned on another. As night fell, the woman switched on the vehicle's hazards, her son resting next to her. 'I was sick to my stomach,' she said. By 1.20 p.m. on Saturday Calaveras County Sheriff's Office received a missing person report filed by Laird's family after they were unable to get her by phone. A volunteer search and rescue team conducting training in the area was deployed to track down the mother and son. Responders used four-wheeled utility terrain vehicles to scour the network of interconnect roads. During the search, a deputy and a Forest Service ranger received a tip from campers who, on Friday, reported seeing a vehicle matching the description of Laird's Nissan. Early Saturday evening, Tony Fernandez and another volunteer came upon one of Laird's notes along a Forest Service road, urging for help. 'I jokingly said, 'Is that a rock with a note? ' Not thinking she would have thought of that,' Fernandez told the Chronicle. About a mile down the road, the team came across a second note. Laird and her son were found in their vehicle another mile farther down the road, deputies said. The search team was able to free the stuck vehicle and assist in bringing the mother and son back to the command post, where their family was waiting for them, deputies said. Acknowledging that the search and rescue team was in the area, Stark said that the notes 'absolutely accelerated the timeline in which they were found."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Lost mother's handwritten notes save her and 9-year-old son stranded in remote California wilderness
A mother and her young son were rescued after getting lost in a California forest, thanks to quick thinking, a handwritten note and timely action by rescuers. It happened on Saturday, July 12, when a routine training exercise for the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) Team turned into a real-life rescue mission in the rugged terrain near Spicer Reservoir. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., Calaveras County Dispatch received a report of a 49-year-old mother and her 9-year-old son who were overdue from a trip to Camp Wolfeboro. The pair had left Sacramento the day before but had since gone silent – no calls, no texts and no check-ins, according to the reporting party. Concerned for their safety, a deputy was immediately sent to investigate. Fortunately, the Search and Rescue (SAR) team was already training nearby and quickly joined the search. Five Helicopters Needed To Save Injured Solo Climber On California's Second-highest Peak A location-sharing app provided by the reporting party helped narrow the search zone, officials said. Air support from the California Highway Patrol was also called in to assist. Read On The Fox News App A breakthrough in the search came from a promising lead – a 911 text from nearby campers who reported seeing a vehicle that matched the missing family's description the day before. With this critical tip, officials said searchers zeroed in on the area. Then, early in the evening, searchers discovered a handwritten note at a remote intersection. It was from the missing mother, pleading for help. Hiker Disappears In Wilderness After Taking 'Shortcut' That Leads To Voice From The Woods The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office shared an image of the note, showing the directions the mother had laid out to help find them. "HELP. Me and my son are stranded with no service and can't call 911," the note read. "We are ahead, up the road to the right. Please call 911 to get help for us. Thank you!" Following a series of similar notes left along the route, rescuers tracked the pair to their vehicle, roughly a mile down the road. However, the remote location and thick forest canopy posed another challenge as cell and radio signals were blocked, "making standard radio or cell communication impossible." Officials said the rescue team utilized an amateur radio frequency, commonly known as "HAM radio," to establish communication. Hiker Disappears From 'Edge Of The World' Campground On Trip With Father 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. "This HAM operator then contacted the El Dorado 911 center, which provided the information to Calaveras Dispatch, and the SAR command post was notified," officials said. Rescuers used recovery equipment to free the family's vehicle and safely escorted them back to the command post, where they were reunited with anxious loved ones. Officials said that the rescue mission revealed just how quickly technology can fail in remote areas. Authorities later revealed that the mother had been following a GPS route that diverted her onto remote backroads. When the signal dropped, the pair became disoriented deep in the forest. Despite the dangerous circumstances, officials said the duo made several smart decisions that contributed to their safe rescue. They left notes at intersections, used hazard lights at night, and relied on basic survival skills. Notably, the young boy used a whistle in short bursts to help signal their location, officials said. Authorities highlighted that their most important move was informing someone of their itinerary and expected return, critical information that helped launch the timely article source: Lost mother's handwritten notes save her and 9-year-old son stranded in remote California wilderness Solve the daily Crossword
