Mother, Son Rescued After Lost California Forest Notes Aid Search

A mother and her 9-year-old son became lost in a remote area of California's Stanislaus National Forest while en route to a Boy Scouts camp, after their GPS directed them onto complex, labyrinth-like logging roads and then lost signal. They were reported missing when they failed to arrive at the camp as expected, triggering a search and rescue operation that utilized location-sharing app data, reports from campers, and aerial support. The pair left handwritten notes weighted down by rocks with pleas for help and information about their location, which were crucial in guiding rescuers to them. The boy also used a whistle to sound three short bursts, an international distress signal taught by the Scouts, and they kept their car’s hazard lights on overnight. They survived the night in the car with a cooler of food and drinks they had packed for the trip. Rescuers found them about a mile from the notes, safely extracting them after several hours of searching.