(CNN) – A mother and her 9-year-old son who got lost in a California forest were rescued after authorities found handwritten notes asking for help.
The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office says the 49-year-old mother and her son were reported missing last Saturday. They left a day earlier for a Boy Scout camp, but they never arrived and weren’t answering their phones.
Authorities deployed a search team that was already doing training in the area.
Rescuers eventually found two handwritten notes marked “help” posted at different areas along a remote road. The notes indicated the missing mother and son were stranded and provided their approximate location.
A mother and her 9-year-old son who got lost in a forest were rescued after authorities found handwritten notes asking for help. The pair posted the notes at intersections near their location to increase their likelihood of being rescued.(Source: Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office via CNN)Shortly afterward, the pair were found in their car. Searchers were able to free the stuck vehicle and help them get back to their family.
The mother says she and her son got stranded after her GPS lost signal. At that point, they were already in a remote area and were unable to retrace their route.
The duo posted the notes at intersections near their location to increase their likelihood of being rescued. They also used their car’s hazard lights at night, and the 9-year-old would periodically use his whistle to blow an international signal for help.
Another factor authorities noted in the successful rescue was that before the mother and son left on their trip, they told someone where they were going and when to expect them back.