|
  |
Bike found, boy missing
By Kevin
Walker
Around 4:00 pm
we received a call from the Hemet station of the
Riverside County Sheriff's, Department that an
Idyllwild youth had been missing since an early
morning bike ride with his parents. In the mid
afternoon the bike was located near the outdoor
theatre at the campus at ISOMATA. Because of the
close proximity to the treacherous grotto area of
Strawberry Creek, RMRU was called out.
I quickly
finished my calls, changed, loaded the rescue van
and headed for Highway 74 which winds its way up
the mountain. Traffic was light as I drove the
mountain road, and I was plotting in my head what
would be the best plan of attack when I reached
Idyllwild. But as I rounded the curve just below
where Strawberry Creek passes below the highway
after falling several thousand feet down from
Idyllwild, I saw a young boy walking down the
side of the road by himself. Quickly I pulled off
in a turnout and ran back down the road. I called
to the boy and he stopped. Asking him where he
came from, he responded from Idyllwild, and that
he had been lost all day. As fellow member Rick Pohlers would
say, "Bingo, bingo, bingo." We walked
back to the van, and I radioed to Deputy Dennis
Fogel that I had located the missing youth and
that we were enroute to his location in
Idyllwild.
As we drove up
the mountain, the 11 year old who was covered
with minor cuts and abrasions, and was scratching
what would definitely turn out to be a poison oak
reaction, told me that he had ridden out ahead of
his parents and become lost on the small mountain
streets, He said that he decided to hide his bike
and try and find his way home on foot. Problem
was, by his description, he ended up in
Strawberry Creek. He said he had slipped many
times on the slick rocks in the bottom of the
creek bed, one time banging his knee quite hard.
Soon we reached ISOMATA where the deputy and his
parents were waiting, after a reunion with tears
of joy from his mother and a stern but relieved
look from his father the family of three headed
home as did I, and the rest of the team that had
now been turned around.
|
  |