California mom-son lost in a forest couldn’t reach 911 — so they left notes that eventually saved them

A 49-year-old mother and her 9-year-old son were found safe in a remote area of Calaveras County, California, after leaving handwritten notes at intersections deep in the forest. The notes, spotted by a search and rescue team on July 12, helped guide rescuers directly to them. The details of the rescue were shared in a post by the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team on Facebook on July 15, which reached over 4,000 people. The duo had left Sacramento the previous afternoon, July 11, en route to Camp Wolfeboro in the upper Highway 4 area. 

When they didn’t arrive and stopped responding to calls, a family member contacted the Calaveras County Dispatch Center at 1:20 p.m. the following day. They were able to provide a last known location using a mobile tracking app. The Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team was already conducting a training exercise nearby when the alert came in. A command post was established near the Black Springs OHV Recreational Area, and four-wheel-drive vehicles were deployed to begin the search.

At around 5:40 p.m., searchers came across a note posted at an intersection off a remote forest service road. It read: "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!" A second note was discovered farther down the road, which contained the names of the missing individuals, a phone number, and instructions for rescuers to continue following the road. About a mile later, the mother and son were located with their vehicle. Due to the isolated terrain and lack of radio or cellular reception, the search team turned to HAM radio to send out a rescue message.

A retired El Dorado County communications supervisor received their transmission and contacted the El Dorado 911 center. After recovering the vehicle, the team brought the pair safely back to the command post, where family members were waiting. The sheriff’s office later confirmed that the mother had relied on a GPS device, which led them onto remote back roads before losing signal. She was unable to retrace the route.

Situations like these are more common than many realize. A study by SmokyMountains.com found that among adult hikers in North America, the leading cause of getting lost was simply wandering off trail, ahead of injury or severe weather. The researchers reviewed over 100 cases across 25 years, and in 41% of them, individuals became lost after unintentionally straying from marked paths. In a public update, officials said, "Once back at the command post, the search managers and team members were able to piece together the circumstances that led to the missing persons becoming lost, as well as the actions they took to assist in the search efforts."

They also credited the 9-year-old boy for sending periodic whistle signals to attract attention. "The nine-year-old even used his whistle to periodically deploy three short bursts, an international signal for help," the office said. Another key factor in the successful outcome was the mother’s decision to share their travel plans ahead of time. "Of importance in the successful outcome was their pre-trip notification of telling someone where they were going and when to expect them back," the sheriff’s office added. The rescue was completed without injury and officials emphasized that a combination of early reporting, visible signage, communication tools, and the efforts of both volunteers and family played a central role in the safe recovery.