15-year-old boy separated from group
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May 02, 1981 |
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At 2245 Saturday night, we received a call from the Banning office of the Riverside County Sheriffs' Department that a 15 year old boy had been reported missing out of the Willow Creek area, and that further details would be available at Humber Park.
Idyllwild resident and RMRU member Mary Bowman was first to arrive at Humber. There she met the deputy who told her that a group of hikers camping at Skunk Cabbage had taken a short hike over to Willow Creek in the morning, and while at the creek the 15 year old in question became separated from the group. After spending the better part of the day trying to locate the youth, they finally went back to their camp at Skunk
Cabbage. There they had a portable CB HandiTalkie, they radioed out asking for help from somebody. Luckily, a REACT member in Hemet heard the calls for help. The REACT member then called the Sheriff who in turn called RMRU.
Shortly thereafter, RMRU members Walt and Kevin Walker arrived in the No. 1 van followed by John Dew and Hal Fulkman. It was decided to send Hal and Kevin in first to gather more information and start searching. John Dew would hike in to the saddle and act as a relay. It was just after midnight when Hal and Kevin were just starting out when Mary heard part of a transmission to Hemet. The REACT member radioed back up to RMRU's CB that the 15 year old had walked back into camp unharmed. With that the searchers loaded their gear back into the vehicles and the rest of the team enroute was turned around by the pager system. Thanks to the REACT member RMRU was promptly notified of the mission and promptly told of the youth's return to camp.