Overdue Boy Scout on day hike

June 23, 1991
Fuller Ridge Trail
1991-018

ForwardReturn to IndexBack

Sometimes RMRU gets very busy, such was the case on June 23rd.

While RMRU was already fielding search teams to look for one lost camper on Black Mountain in the San Jacinto Wilderness (see mission 1991-017). RMRU operations base was approached by one very concerned Boy Scout Master. It was reported to us by the Scout Master that he and his troop had been hiking from Palm Springs Tramway in route to Boulder Basin Campground. Along the way, they had stopped for a brief break on the trail, when he checked to make sure everyone was accounted for, he discovered that one Scout was missing.

He informed us that he and his troop back tracked for a while and yelled for the Scout to respond, but to no avail. They decided to hike to the campground and request help to locate the missing Scouter.

To there good fortune, when they arrived, they found Riverside County’s Finest Mountain Search and Rescue Team already at task in the very same campground.

Fortunately, RMRU maintains a large enough membership to be able to coordinate simultaneous missions, and out operations base dispatched the first available team to start working the route of the Scout Troop.

Within hours, the Scout was located back on the trail, a bit scared, but no worse for the ware. He explained that he had jumped off the trail to short cut his trip to the campground and quickly got lost. After wandering around for awhile, he came back to the trail and decided he’d better not leave it again. That was probably the best decision he made that day, it may have been the decision that saved his life.