• Missing Teens on Quads - 2009
In the early evening of January 17, 2009, EDSO received a call that two 16-year-old boys were overdue from a 4:00 p.m. one-hour trip. The family was camped a long Mormon Emigrant Trail/Iron Mountain Road, about 4 miles east of Snow Mill Road. Patrol deputies searched the drivable roads. CHP H-20 attempted to spot the missing boys from the air. We learned this morning that the boys tried to signal the helo last night with their flashlight or head light.
Volunteers from El Dorado Search and Rescue responded to a 10:00 p.m. SAR callout by Deputy Morgan and searched all night, while manning a command post/operations center. In the early morning, an additional callout was made and more members responded.
About 10:30 a.m., a family friend driving the Mormon Emigrant Trail stopped and called out for the boys. One of the boys, who was walking out, responded to the calls. The friend brought him back to the Command Post. Teams in OHVs and quads returned to the area with the boy as a guide. CHP H-20, returning again this morning after refueling, spotted the other boy. The OHV and quad teams reached the other boy. CHP paramedics checked him out and he returned to command post, where El Dorado County Fire Paramedics were staging. Medically, the boys checked out fine and did not need hospital transport.
Further interviews indicated that the boys both became stuck in the snow and could not extricate their vehicles. They were unsuccessful their attempts to start a fire. They overnighted under a weather cover for one of the quad vehicles.
Paul Duer, SAR 007, said:
These boys, like more and more forest visitors, carried inexpensive FRS/GMRS ("family") radios. The OHV team was aware and was monitoring the subjects' LKC (last known channel). FRS/GMRS low-power signals have limited range, so searchers in the field have the best chance of hearing them first. Keeping an FRS/GMRS radio in your gear and learning to make it scan the channels could lead to a find. It would be ideal if someone on every field team were trained to trained to use these radio to find the lost subjects and speak to them.
Deputy James Morgan said:
Great response from SAR Management and OHV. Thanks to all who came out and searched all night long. Family was very happy with all the efforts. See everyone on the next one.
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