Child missing from campground
|
May 15, 1987 |
   |
By Kevin Walker
Every member holds certain missions close at
heart. It might be a difficult rescue, a long
search, some sort of funny operation, any number
of combinations. But ones that always come to
mind quite easily, are the searches for young
children. The following is an account of just
such a mission.
2300 hours Friday, a call from the Hemet station,
of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, a
young child missing out of the Black Mountain
Group Campground. For me, there is nothing more
important, this is what search and rescue is all
about.
0030 hours Saturday, 12 members responded to the
group camp which lies on the Western Slope of the
San Jacinto Mountains near the Fuller Ridge. Walt
Walker, Operations Leader interviews leaders of
the group which is from an LDS church in Hemet.
The purpose for being in the mountains: a father
and son campout. It is learned that after dinner
a group of boys were playing in the camp, the
group was called to come to the campfire ring for
the evening campfire. All the boys except one
made it to the fire. A search of the area was
initiated for five year old Dean Peterson. With
no results, a parent was sent to drive out the
long dirt road to call for help. For Co. James
Paterson, father to young Dean it would be a long
wait.
Teams are formed in two's. Rob Gardner and Bob
Sairs to cut for sign along the dirt road heading
towards Camp Lackey to the East. Jay Pion and Ray
Hussey to take the road to the West. Ron Pierson
and Henry Negrete to cut for prints around the
upper perimeter of the camp, and Glenn Henderson
and Kevin Walker to take the stream bed and
follow it out to camp. Packs are loaded and
members head out on assignments. No prints are
found on the close in search because of the
earlier search efforts. Members continue to
expand the search area. As the search goes on
plans are made for the morning. Because a child
is involved, and the nights are still in the low
40's other MRA teams are contacted, and a
helicopter is authorized for first light. Still
no substantial clues as to the direction young
Dean might have taken.
0400 hours
while heading down the stream bed, Glenn spots
what could be a small foot print in the moist
stream bottom, Kevin looks ahead. A definite
print is found by Kevin, it is reported to base.
The teams continues downstream calling Dean's
name. Kevin calls out from the top of the small
waterfall. The greatest joy for a searcher can
have is hear in the distance, a faint "I'm
here." The contact is reported to base and
the team quickly moves down the now narrow and
steep stream several hundred yards away. The
voice sounds closer. The pair wondered how a
little one can still be up and moving with it
being so cold. The reason is soon learned as
youth Dean had climbed out of the bottom of the
stream and went up the side several hundred feet
and got on top of a boulder, there he stayed. It
was considerably warmer and the air was not a
moist. Dean is cold, hungry and scared, but most
importantly, uninjured. Glenn's wool sweater is
put on the youth, Kevin's balaclava (like a wool
cap) is placed over Dean's head, and then zipped
up in with Glenn in his 60/40 parka. As teams
arrive, they find Dean smiling and enjoying
Glenn's candy. The Troggsitz (A device for
carrying a subject on a rescuers back). Dean is
secure in it on Kevin's back. The Group then
hikes back up to camp and a very anxious father.
Breakfast is made by the elders of the group. All
is well..
..For Glenn, myself and the entire group of
searchers, the reuniting of the father and son
are all the thanks necessary. We are proud of
what we do, and for Dean and his family, 1987
would hold another birthday, another summer
vacation and all the things that make being a
five year old something special.