Missing 5 year old, Johnson Valley

[JayBreww]

Saw this on Instagram.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DRYHEAT]

Hopefully they find him safe and soon.

 

[rivermobster]

Oh fuck me...

 

[HNL2LHC]

Best to the family in finding him

 

[cakemoto]

I’m not on Facebook so I’m not up to date but I saw something just a few minutes ago that he was found safe

 

[WYRD]

I’m not on Facebook so I’m not up to date but I saw something just a few minutes ago that he was found safe

 

[WYRD]

I don't know the whole story but if those parents were letting him out riding at 11 p.m. at night even just even just around the campground...

Glad he was found safe

 

[RichL]

I don't know the whole story but if those parents were letting him out riding at 11 p.m. at night even just even just around the campground...

Glad he was found safe

Post said "Gone since 2". Regardless glad he was reported to be found safe.

 

[WYRD]

Post said "Gone since 2". Regardless glad he was reported to be found safe.

Didn't notice that, I retract my judgment

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Sad to hear, hope they find him

 

[Singleton]

Saw something that he was found.
However jerks on FB were saying that since 11pm last night. Looks like he was found around 5am this morning

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Wife saw somewhere that he was found. Glad to hear

 

[Universal Elements]

 

[brgrcru]

That's a great picture and has a great story .

 

[rivermobster]

Didn't notice that, I retract my judgment

You're not wrong. No one should let their five year old go riding in the desert alone, regardless of the time of the day.

Thankfully this had a happy ending.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Probably got separated from a group, it happens.

These days I'd put a SPOT tracker on the bike (or on the kid).

 

[LowRiver2]

Facebook post says he got mad at his parents because they were doing something with his sibling and he took off without them knowing.

made it 3 miles from his camp

Pic of him with riders who found him and were waiting for SAR

 

[SJP]

I was reading that he was found 3 miles from camp out of gas.

 

[RichL]

You're not wrong. No one should let their five year old go riding in the desert alone, regardless of the time of the day.

Thankfully this had a happy ending.

This was really in the back of my mind when I made my first post but not knowing all the circumstances didn't want to jump to conclusions.

 

[motormonkey]

Damn lucky kid as mentioned before, the desert isnt the place to ride alone.. If he was mine, I'd hug him. Then beat his ass. Glad it turned out good.

 

[Havazoo]

Thank you God !!

 

[Mototrig]

Facebook post says he got mad at his parents because they were doing something with his sibling and he took off without them knowing.

made it 3 miles from his camp View attachment 1008292

Pic of him with riders who found him and were waiting for SAR

Sometimes kids have to learn for themselves how to react their emotions. This was the wrong place to ride off alone, kid probably didn't realize it at the time though. Glad he's ok.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Who’s riding in the desert this time of year?

 

[rivermobster]

Who’s riding in the desert this time of year?

Havasu heat isn't the same as Cali heat. It was cool last weekend in Soddard Wells! June gloom is upon us here.

 

[Deckin Around]

Lot's of different versions as to be expected with social.
He was going riding with dad who was gearing up to follow him. I heard his mom in a video tell him this am when they were re-united that he took off before dad was ready and he never looked back or something similar. 16 hours with no food and water, just jeans and a tshirt. Having kids who ride, he did exactly what I teach my kids, stay with your bike dont wander off, I WILL find you.
I almost always ride in front of my kids on 2 or 4 wheels and look back constantly because; they dont look for cross traffic, I don't want them leading in dust as I am much taller on a bike and easier to see for oncoming traffic and If I go down or vehicle breaks they will stop.
Best thing I read from one of the Search and Rescue guys was he asked if he could ride his bike back to camp.

 

[CLdrinker]

I was reading that he was found 3 miles from camp out of gas.

Ok let me get this straight.
3 miles from camp
And by the looks of it a main trail?

How in the fuck did it take so long for the parents to find him? Not trying to hard obviously.

was the sheriff helicopter not called in? That is an easy find with their heat camera?

something is odd here.

 

[CLdrinker]

Who’s riding in the desert this time of year?

Lots of people.

 

[Dana757]

My friend Lee Bower found him. Said he got lost then bike ran out of gas. When it got dark the kid slept next to his bike. Staying with the bike was a smart thing to do. That boy will have a good story to tell for sure.

 

[AFTERSHOCK RACING+]

 

[rrrr]

You're not wrong. No one should let their five year old go riding in the desert alone, regardless of the time of the day.

Thankfully this had a happy ending.

When I was seven and we lived in Holbrook, my parents would let me take a canteen and my .22 and walk three miles across the desert down to the Little Colorado River to catch frogs with a friend. He was seven too.

Exploring the mesa was just a part of growing up in New Mexico and Arizona. I caught my first snake, a black racer, when I was five.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I wouldn't be too surprised if I get flamed for this but....... I have to express my feelings. Based on a couple things I can see in those pictures, the kid has not been taught or instructed how to ride in the desert. He was not taught the dangers of going off by himself or anything. He likely stayed by his bike because it was his tangible connection to camp. An instinct decision that was correct and could have been what saved his life.

What I see in these pictures is a kid that is not taken out to ride often at all. So there never should have been a situation where he was left unsupervised. And its not like he was on a silent electric bike either. 1, the bike is far too small for him. Kinda doubt its even his bike. 2, He is in tennis shoes, jeans, and a tee shirt. All tell-tale signs of an extreme novice or one that does not ride frequently enough to have gear. 3, He doesn't have goggles, gloves, or even long sleeves on. 4, He apparently isn't familiar with the bike or how to treat the bike since those PW50's have a kickstand and yet he laid the bike over on its side. Bottom line, this kid was set-up for failure and/or injury the minute his parents let him throw a leg over that bike and if there were experienced riders there with them, one of them should have stepped in WELL before it got to this point.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Ok let me get this straight.
3 miles from camp
And by the looks of it a main trail?

How in the fuck did it take so long for the parents to find him? Not trying to hard obviously.

was the sheriff helicopter not called in? That is an easy find with their heat camera?

something is odd here.

A 3 mile radius from camp means there was a search area of nearly 30 square miles. That is lots of real estate to cover looking for a little kid. I'm guessing lots of trails to follow which is why he ran out of gas. From the "found" pictures it looks like he was discovered before other assets could be brought on scene.

 

[CLdrinker]

A 3 mile radius from camp means there was a search area of nearly 30 square miles. That is lots of real estate to cover looking for a little kid. I'm guessing lots of trails to follow which is why he ran out of gas. From the "found" pictures it looks like he was discovered before other assets could be brought on scene.

30 squares miles would be covered very quickly if my kid were missing.
These parents failed period.

 

[LowRiver2]

A 3 mile radius from camp means there was a search area of nearly 30 square miles. That is lots of real estate to cover looking for a little kid. I'm guessing lots of trails to follow which is why he ran out of gas. From the "found" pictures it looks like he was discovered before other assets could be brought on scene.

No one , repeat no one understands how difficult grid and radius searches can be at any time , let alone at night .
Getting air assets out there on a holiday weekend is not going to be fast, and ground searching is super tedious.

There will always be a thousand what if’s

Frankly, I’m glad the parents have the kids out riding.
No alcohol was involved, we all can learn from the mistakes.
Shaming the parents only cures self righteousness, and pretty sure we are all above that.
An honest debrief of failures is one thing, finger pointing serves nothing.
From a Dad whose had to search for lost children and found them dead one too many times.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

30 squares miles would be covered very quickly if my kid were missing.
These parents failed period.

Having worked aerial SAR a bit back in younger days, it simply takes time to get a search up and going.

It ain't like the movies.

 

[CLdrinker]

Having worked aerial SAR a bit back in younger days, it simply takes time to get a search up and going.

It ain't like the movies.

Oh I’m sure it does. But the parents shouldn’t need it in the first place.

 

[ka0tyk]

got it, only put half gallon into your kids bike at a time so they cant get too far away. heh.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

No one , repeat no one understands how difficult grid and radius searches can be at any time , let alone at night .
Getting air assets out there on a holiday weekend is not going to be fast, and ground searching is super tedious.

There will always be a thousand what if’s

Frankly, I’m glad the parents have the kids out riding.
No alcohol was involved, we all can learn from the mistakes.
Shaming the parents only cures self righteousness, and pretty sure we are all above that.
An honest debrief of failures is one thing, finger pointing serves nothing.
From a Dad whose had to search for lost children and found them dead one too many times.

My company just hooked me up with a drone that has a thermal camera and can be programmed to do grid searches. Haven't played with it much yet, guessing my ~hour and a half worth of batteries wouldn't cut it for a search that large?

 

[LowRiver2]

My company just hooked me up with a drone that has a thermal camera and can be programmed to do grid searches. Haven't played with it much yet, guessing my ~hour and a half worth of batteries wouldn't cut it for a search that large?

Anything helps

I envision drones in the future to interact with each other to switch off grid pattern coordinates and push on.

Problem is actually seeing the body by the operator

 

[Brokeboatin221]

As someone else stated they need to find this kid some riding gear. My daughter and I were out there last weekend it was nice. This past weekend was hot.

 

[rivermobster]

When I was seven and we lived in Holbrook, my parents would let me take a canteen and my .22 and walk three miles across the desert down to the Little Colorado River to catch frogs with a friend. He was seven too.

Exploring the mesa was just a part of growing up in New Mexico and Arizona. I caught my first snake, a black racer, when I was five.

That was back in the day when your parents literally kicked you outa the house!

LoL

But I'll tell you what...

I pretty much never go riding alone, even now. I wouldn't let my kids do it either.

If that makes me a puss, so be it. But I'll be a puss telling stories and drinking around the camp fire, at the end of the day, every time.

 

[cakemoto]

I wouldn't be too surprised if I get flamed for this but....... I have to express my feelings. Based on a couple things I can see in those pictures, the kid has not been taught or instructed how to ride in the desert. He was not taught the dangers of going off by himself or anything. He likely stayed by his bike because it was his tangible connection to camp. An instinct decision that was correct and could have been what saved his life.

What I see in these pictures is a kid that is not taken out to ride often at all. So there never should have been a situation where he was left unsupervised. And its not like he was on a silent electric bike either. 1, the bike is far too small for him. Kinda doubt its even his bike. 2, He is in tennis shoes, jeans, and a tee shirt. All tell-tale signs of an extreme novice or one that does not ride frequently enough to have gear. 3, He doesn't have goggles, gloves, or even long sleeves on. 4, He apparently isn't familiar with the bike or how to treat the bike since those PW50's have a kickstand and yet he laid the bike over on its side. Bottom line, this kid was set-up for failure and/or injury the minute his parents let him throw a leg over that bike and if there were experienced riders there with them, one of them should have stepped in WELL before it got to this point.

I think it’s just different for us as we grew up with families that actually road and raced motocross/ desert. Don’t get me wrong he definitely doesn’t have the proper gear on but you have to remember there’s lots of people that are just starting out and learning and don’t even know what to do and not to dne of these weekends when it cools back down I want you to come up to Phoenix and I’m a take you over to Sycamore these times..fucking people are insane with the shit they do.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I think it’s just different for us as we grew up with families that actually road and raced motocross/ desert. Don’t get me wrong he definitely doesn’t have the proper gear on but you have to remember there’s lots of people that are just starting out and learning and don’t even know what to do and not to dne of these weekends when it cools back down I want you to come up to Phoenix and I’m a take you over to Sycamore these times..fucking people are insane with the shit they do.

Oh I know, and it drives me NUTS! I've seen too many kids get hurt or seen my dad, uncles, or family friends stop the kids and/or parents before the kids got hurt too much to tolerate seeing it.

 

[mobldj]

instantly thought of breaking bad

 

[Dana757]

Copied from Lee’s Facebook page.


NOTE: I’m posting this long story for myself to help remember what happened.

Well, I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on what was a very emotional Memorial Day weekend. As we commonly do, we went camping out at Cougar Buttes, just outside Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley, for a weekend of riding our dirt bikes. Sunday afternoon, around 3:30-4:00 pm, we heard from our neighbor camp that a boy from a few camps away was lost in the desert. I rode over to their camp to get more information. The 5-year-old boy had been missing since 2:00 pm, when the family was getting ready to go on a ride. Apparently, they thought the boy, Otto, was just going to warm up around camp, when they were briefly distracted. In no time, the boy was out of sight.

I went back to our camp to tell my family and the Surmons, who were camping with us. Heather quickly suited up and got on her bike to search along with Bob and John Surmon. We split up and quickly canvased the area. Being on bikes, we could travel the area fast, and since we’re standing up, we could see for quite a way. I found one group of campers who said that they saw the kid, which implied that he went a different direction than originally reported. A little later, sheriffs were on scene with a helicopter covering a wide area. No luck. Based on the area we covered, I knew he wasn’t there.

Later on, I had a hunch of which direction he went, John and I went out to explore that hunch, and I lucked out and found PW50 tire tracks in an area with no other tracks. The tracks turned around, leaving shoe prints as well. This was surely the boy’s tracks. John and I continued in the direction I suspected they went, but it was getting dark, and John’s bike didn’t have a light. We went back to camp and report our findings. Interestingly, we happened to be there while the sheriff was sharing their findings with the family. There was one scenario they were pursuing that might have involved another couple people who were camping nearby that seemed rather scary. I had seen the potential suspects the day before, and felt that they were quite sketchy, so I believed it was plausible.

After that, one of the family members called out a baby rattle snake on the ground about 5 feet away from John and I, heading away. Meaning, it could have gone right under us. In my haste to get out and search, I wasn’t riding in full gear. I only had hiking shoes, shorts, tee-shirt, and an open-face moto-trials helmet. I could have easily been bitten! Heck, I could have accidentally stepped on it and been bitten! A shovel was used to behead the critter. No, not by John or me. I know, these are good creatures, but…

After dinner, I put on proper riding gear and went over to the family, and they said there was a report with maybe a video or picture of the boy around 2:30 pm, in the direction of travel from where I saw marks. This gave me new hope. Well after dark, Bob and I went hunting the area where the report came from. We occasionally ran across search and rescue teams driving their assigned grids. We weren’t finding anything. A couple blocks away hours later, we got our big break; we found tire tracks. We reported them to one of the sheriffs driving around. They were still looking for a better confirmation, which is understandable – dirt bike tracks in this area weren’t uncommon. They had a picture of the tread from the Converse shoes the boy was wearing. I followed the tracks to where the boy turned and put his foot down. There was the Converse tread! We’re on it! Bob relayed the information, while I chased tracks following the Baja Designs headlight outfitted on the bike aided by my new Slyde King flashlight (I love both those lights!). The boy looped to where we first saw tracks, but this time headed the opposite direction. We followed those tracks down a few blocks to where he turned. The problem was, there were two tracks. We followed the tracks back and around a couple blocks, and back to where we saw the duplicates. It was simply a double-back. By this time, lots of volunteers from off-road and recovery groups were showing up to help. It was approaching 2:00-3:00 am.

Unfortunately, all these other vehicles were driving over the tracks, making them hard to find. Ones I’d previously seen were gone.
Bob and I had the unique experience of having kids who rode the same style PW50 bike, so we knew the tracks they made, as well as their riding characteristics. This knowledge, along with the shoe prints, was often useful to help determine the direction of travel, especially during loops and double-backs. With Bob and I being the only ones on dirt bikes, it was easy for us to see and follow the tracks. All the other search parties were in four-wheel vehicles, ranging from side-by-sides to all kinds of 4x4s.

With so many people there, we’d almost given up for the night. However, I had a hunch of which direction he went. We decided to follow the hunch. As we approached every intersection, we carefully inspect it for tracks. We also checked every entrance to properties. We’d gone at least a mile or two down this dirt road on just a hunch. The hope of this plan was starting to turn bleak. Did he go a different way? No idea. And then I saw a path that veered off from the main road. I initially didn’t see anything, but then I finally found tracks. We’re back in the hunt! The boy was heading back into the hills. We followed the tracks for some time, but in some areas, it was a bit difficult, as other vehicles had been through there since the previous day’s afternoon.

Fortunately, the boy mostly stayed on the trail, generally only veering off to make U-turns and the occasional turn. At one trail intersection, he went multiple directions with double-backs and loops. It was difficult to keep track of. Fortunately, Bob was tracking our search patterns with his GPS so we could see where we’ve been. Remember, the desert at night looks the same, whichever way you face. Though I was keeping an eye on various landmarks to know where I was, I was admittedly losing track of which route I had explored. Some I think I had explored many times.

The teamwork that Bob and I had as we’d been searching all night was awesome. Whether it was leap-frogging while searching intersections to splitting up to explore various paths, the synergy was awesome. This was the biggest help as a team. We finally got to the point where we were repeating the same loops and double-backs, but not finding another trail. It was about 4:00 am, and Bob’s bike was running low on gas. We went back to camp. Bob shared his GPS information with the command post.

We went back to camp and gassed up and grabbed more water to carry. After a few minutes, dawn started to break, and we were ready to get back out there. At this point, I was never so motivated. I remember saying to Bob, “Let’s go bring this boy home.” We bombed over to the area where we’d last seen tracks. Despite not having any sleep, I was full of energy. It wasn’t long after being back in the area that other people were out there searching, since Bob had given the coordinates to the rescue officials.

Unfortunately, people driving in were covering tracks. I was telling this to one guy as he’s walking all over the boy’s foot prints. Sigh… Another guy started to get a little argumentative when I asked him to drive to the side of the trails so as night to cover the boy’s tire tracks.

Bob and I split up a bit so we could each canvas the area. Again, being on bikes, we could cover ground much faster than the four-wheel vehicles. While I was up on a hill looking about, I saw a coyote running by. You could image my thoughts. Not good. I continued and went back to an area where I’d seen tire tracks before.

I finally got a lucky break where I saw another track I didn’t recall seeing during the night. It was tough, because things look different at sunrise than they do under the light of the moon. I started following it. This went through some terrain I absolutely knew I hadn’t been on during the night. I followed it away from the search area. The tracks kept going and going. It was a nasty, deep sand wash – especially for a PW50, but the tire tracks were defined well enough. I could see the boy used his feet as outriggers for stability. Nonetheless, this kid was a good rider. We’d known that all night. The tracks went on for some ways.

I knew he would be at the end of these tracks. However, one thing kept haunting me. Bob mentioned that we might not like what we find. And he was absolutely right. I kept thinking about that. I want to see this out, but it could be bad. I was still super driven, but the anxiety thinking about that was getting to me as I felt I was getting closer. After all, this kid’s bike had to run out of gas at some point, right? After all the searching during the previous day and through the night, I knew not to always trust my eyes. I chased down so many mylar balloons, broken cooler lids, and Bud Light beer boxes because they all seemed to fit the description of the kid or his bike. At least from a distance.

Up ahead there was a trail that veered off the sandy wash. Just after the split, I see something that didn’t match any of the items above, or any other desert junk. It was too brightly colored. It was him! He was laying on the ground next to his bike. The thoughts of what Bob said haunted me again. As excited as I was, I was scared. I rolled up to the boy. He was wearing his helmet laying next to the bike. His shirt was pulled over his knees, and both of his shoes were sitting on the other side of the bike. He was still laying still, but then he started to move and get up. I felt the most overwhelming sigh of relief. I said, “Hey Otto, I’m so glad to see you! Are you OK?” He said yes and took off his helmet. I offered him my water bottle which he held onto and drank for some time. His lips were badly chapped, but he otherwise seemed fine. He was still a bit sleepy, it seemed. I offered him some peppermint candies I had in my pack. He seemed to really like those. I could imagine, having some flavor after not having consumed anything for nearly 16 hours must have been welcoming.

I called Bob to tell him where I was. He was there in minutes. Nobody in the world can ride that kind of sand wash faster than him. Seriously. While waiting for Bob, I relayed my live location to Stephenie, so she could give it to the search and rescue base. I then posted a picture of me with the boy to one of the Facebook groups I saw while eating dinner I’d seen mentioning the search. At that time, I didn’t know how big the search effort really was. When Bob arrived, he called 911. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Seems kind of the obvious thing to do, right? But I guess I was thinking that I have the boy and that there’s no longer an emergency? Note to self: call 911 in these kinds of situations. It was about 6:00 am.

Bob and I continued talking with the boy. He told us that he ran out of gas. I joked, would you like me to get gas out of my bike and put it into yours, so we can all ride back together. No surprised that he said yes. He went on to tell us that he races his bike, and that he loves it. He said that’s why he didn’t leave it. He said the bike stopped running (out of gas, I’m sure), and he pushed it for about 5 feet up a slight hill. He said that he wasn’t scared at all. He went to sleep after it got dark, but kept waking up because the helmet hurt his ears. That’s seemingly what bothered him the most of this whole ordeal. That is one tough kid! I know a lot of adults who can’t/wouldn’t do as well as this boy did. He was being as talkative and chatty as any other 5-year-old boy. This whole thing – camping alone by himself in the middle of the desert – was seemingly no big deal. As if he’d done it a hundred times.
Stephenie was with the parents, and they were told that they couldn’t’ come to the boy, but they’d have to wait until he was brought back to base by officials. Stephenie and I got each other on the phone again, and she handed it off to the mom so she could speak with her son. This was yet another moment that brought tears to my eyes.

The CHP airplane flew over a couple times and we all waved. Then they did a really low flyby. That was really neat, and I’m sure Otto loved it. A search and rescue team showed up after about 10-15 minutes. Otto was initially scared of them, until Bob and I assured him that they were our friends. He responded the same to the sheriff and paramedics who soon thereafter arrived to check him out. No surprise, he was cleared as being just fine. Bob and I knew that, but they have to do it. They loaded his bike and gear into the back seat of the sheriff’s truck and loaded him up to go. Bob suggested that Otto ask for them to hit the siren, so when they were driving away, we both smiled when we heard the siren. That was so cool.

They drove him back to the command base where his family and probably hundreds of people were glad to see him. Bob and I rode the fastest route back we could. Even on dirt roads, it was probably still a 15-minute-plus ride back at speed.

It was such a joy to see Otto back with his family. And it was a pleasure to be able to speak with the parents under much better circumstances. We took more pictures and answered lots of questions. Kind of funny, but Otto gave me back my Camelbak water bottle that he’d been sucking on the whole time (it was refilled when he got back). I wished I would have told him to just keep it, since he seemed to really like it. Oh such a relief after so many hours of adrenaline driving me.

We went back to camp to get some food and sit down and rest. I believe Bob took one of his boys’ old helmets to Otto so his ears don’t hurt so much when he rides. I walked our family over to theirs so they could understand that my family is what drove me to push on. I’m still so impressed by that boy, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. I hope to see him riding someday.
After we got camp loaded up and drove home, I finally got a nap later that evening, after looking some of the social media and news reports of the situation. I didn’t realize it was so huge. I’ve had a lot of people asking questions. Today, I finally checked the GPS coordinates, and I found that the boy was about exactly 4 miles from his camp, as the crow flies. Of course, that would be impossible with that terrain. I mapped his routes based on the tracks, and I found that his route was at least 16 miles, just based on what I know for sure. He could have gone more.

Anyhow, I’m glad their family is whole, as well as mine. This could easily happen to anyone. We’ll all live on to ride another day and tell this story many, many times. I’m thankful to know that there is truly hope in people during a real crisis. I saw other campers, local residents, search and rescue, and a lot of the off-road community come together to search for this boy. That was nothing short of awesome. I thank my family for supporting the effort. Stephenie stayed up all night in case I came back needing something urgently. She’s awesome. And, of course, thanks to Bob for being a good friend and supporting my persistence. This was a fortunate happy ending and a learning experience for all.

 

[bk2drvr]

Copied from Lee’s Facebook page.


NOTE: I’m posting this long story for myself to help remember what happened.

Well, I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on what was a very emotional Memorial Day weekend. As we commonly do, we went camping out at Cougar Buttes, just outside Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley, for a weekend of riding our dirt bikes. Sunday afternoon, around 3:30-4:00 pm, we heard from our neighbor camp that a boy from a few camps away was lost in the desert. I rode over to their camp to get more information. The 5-year-old boy had been missing since 2:00 pm, when the family was getting ready to go on a ride. Apparently, they thought the boy, Otto, was just going to warm up around camp, when they were briefly distracted. In no time, the boy was out of sight.

I went back to our camp to tell my family and the Surmons, who were camping with us. Heather quickly suited up and got on her bike to search along with Bob and John Surmon. We split up and quickly canvased the area. Being on bikes, we could travel the area fast, and since we’re standing up, we could see for quite a way. I found one group of campers who said that they saw the kid, which implied that he went a different direction than originally reported. A little later, sheriffs were on scene with a helicopter covering a wide area. No luck. Based on the area we covered, I knew he wasn’t there.

Later on, I had a hunch of which direction he went, John and I went out to explore that hunch, and I lucked out and found PW50 tire tracks in an area with no other tracks. The tracks turned around, leaving shoe prints as well. This was surely the boy’s tracks. John and I continued in the direction I suspected they went, but it was getting dark, and John’s bike didn’t have a light. We went back to camp and report our findings. Interestingly, we happened to be there while the sheriff was sharing their findings with the family. There was one scenario they were pursuing that might have involved another couple people who were camping nearby that seemed rather scary. I had seen the potential suspects the day before, and felt that they were quite sketchy, so I believed it was plausible.

After that, one of the family members called out a baby rattle snake on the ground about 5 feet away from John and I, heading away. Meaning, it could have gone right under us. In my haste to get out and search, I wasn’t riding in full gear. I only had hiking shoes, shorts, tee-shirt, and an open-face moto-trials helmet. I could have easily been bitten! Heck, I could have accidentally stepped on it and been bitten! A shovel was used to behead the critter. No, not by John or me. I know, these are good creatures, but…

After dinner, I put on proper riding gear and went over to the family, and they said there was a report with maybe a video or picture of the boy around 2:30 pm, in the direction of travel from where I saw marks. This gave me new hope. Well after dark, Bob and I went hunting the area where the report came from. We occasionally ran across search and rescue teams driving their assigned grids. We weren’t finding anything. A couple blocks away hours later, we got our big break; we found tire tracks. We reported them to one of the sheriffs driving around. They were still looking for a better confirmation, which is understandable – dirt bike tracks in this area weren’t uncommon. They had a picture of the tread from the Converse shoes the boy was wearing. I followed the tracks to where the boy turned and put his foot down. There was the Converse tread! We’re on it! Bob relayed the information, while I chased tracks following the Baja Designs headlight outfitted on the bike aided by my new Slyde King flashlight (I love both those lights!). The boy looped to where we first saw tracks, but this time headed the opposite direction. We followed those tracks down a few blocks to where he turned. The problem was, there were two tracks. We followed the tracks back and around a couple blocks, and back to where we saw the duplicates. It was simply a double-back. By this time, lots of volunteers from off-road and recovery groups were showing up to help. It was approaching 2:00-3:00 am.

Unfortunately, all these other vehicles were driving over the tracks, making them hard to find. Ones I’d previously seen were gone.
Bob and I had the unique experience of having kids who rode the same style PW50 bike, so we knew the tracks they made, as well as their riding characteristics. This knowledge, along with the shoe prints, was often useful to help determine the direction of travel, especially during loops and double-backs. With Bob and I being the only ones on dirt bikes, it was easy for us to see and follow the tracks. All the other search parties were in four-wheel vehicles, ranging from side-by-sides to all kinds of 4x4s.

With so many people there, we’d almost given up for the night. However, I had a hunch of which direction he went. We decided to follow the hunch. As we approached every intersection, we carefully inspect it for tracks. We also checked every entrance to properties. We’d gone at least a mile or two down this dirt road on just a hunch. The hope of this plan was starting to turn bleak. Did he go a different way? No idea. And then I saw a path that veered off from the main road. I initially didn’t see anything, but then I finally found tracks. We’re back in the hunt! The boy was heading back into the hills. We followed the tracks for some time, but in some areas, it was a bit difficult, as other vehicles had been through there since the previous day’s afternoon.

Fortunately, the boy mostly stayed on the trail, generally only veering off to make U-turns and the occasional turn. At one trail intersection, he went multiple directions with double-backs and loops. It was difficult to keep track of. Fortunately, Bob was tracking our search patterns with his GPS so we could see where we’ve been. Remember, the desert at night looks the same, whichever way you face. Though I was keeping an eye on various landmarks to know where I was, I was admittedly losing track of which route I had explored. Some I think I had explored many times.

The teamwork that Bob and I had as we’d been searching all night was awesome. Whether it was leap-frogging while searching intersections to splitting up to explore various paths, the synergy was awesome. This was the biggest help as a team. We finally got to the point where we were repeating the same loops and double-backs, but not finding another trail. It was about 4:00 am, and Bob’s bike was running low on gas. We went back to camp. Bob shared his GPS information with the command post.

We went back to camp and gassed up and grabbed more water to carry. After a few minutes, dawn started to break, and we were ready to get back out there. At this point, I was never so motivated. I remember saying to Bob, “Let’s go bring this boy home.” We bombed over to the area where we’d last seen tracks. Despite not having any sleep, I was full of energy. It wasn’t long after being back in the area that other people were out there searching, since Bob had given the coordinates to the rescue officials.

Unfortunately, people driving in were covering tracks. I was telling this to one guy as he’s walking all over the boy’s foot prints. Sigh… Another guy started to get a little argumentative when I asked him to drive to the side of the trails so as night to cover the boy’s tire tracks.

Bob and I split up a bit so we could each canvas the area. Again, being on bikes, we could cover ground much faster than the four-wheel vehicles. While I was up on a hill looking about, I saw a coyote running by. You could image my thoughts. Not good. I continued and went back to an area where I’d seen tire tracks before.

I finally got a lucky break where I saw another track I didn’t recall seeing during the night. It was tough, because things look different at sunrise than they do under the light of the moon. I started following it. This went through some terrain I absolutely knew I hadn’t been on during the night. I followed it away from the search area. The tracks kept going and going. It was a nasty, deep sand wash – especially for a PW50, but the tire tracks were defined well enough. I could see the boy used his feet as outriggers for stability. Nonetheless, this kid was a good rider. We’d known that all night. The tracks went on for some ways.

I knew he would be at the end of these tracks. However, one thing kept haunting me. Bob mentioned that we might not like what we find. And he was absolutely right. I kept thinking about that. I want to see this out, but it could be bad. I was still super driven, but the anxiety thinking about that was getting to me as I felt I was getting closer. After all, this kid’s bike had to run out of gas at some point, right? After all the searching during the previous day and through the night, I knew not to always trust my eyes. I chased down so many mylar balloons, broken cooler lids, and Bud Light beer boxes because they all seemed to fit the description of the kid or his bike. At least from a distance.

Up ahead there was a trail that veered off the sandy wash. Just after the split, I see something that didn’t match any of the items above, or any other desert junk. It was too brightly colored. It was him! He was laying on the ground next to his bike. The thoughts of what Bob said haunted me again. As excited as I was, I was scared. I rolled up to the boy. He was wearing his helmet laying next to the bike. His shirt was pulled over his knees, and both of his shoes were sitting on the other side of the bike. He was still laying still, but then he started to move and get up. I felt the most overwhelming sigh of relief. I said, “Hey Otto, I’m so glad to see you! Are you OK?” He said yes and took off his helmet. I offered him my water bottle which he held onto and drank for some time. His lips were badly chapped, but he otherwise seemed fine. He was still a bit sleepy, it seemed. I offered him some peppermint candies I had in my pack. He seemed to really like those. I could imagine, having some flavor after not having consumed anything for nearly 16 hours must have been welcoming.

I called Bob to tell him where I was. He was there in minutes. Nobody in the world can ride that kind of sand wash faster than him. Seriously. While waiting for Bob, I relayed my live location to Stephenie, so she could give it to the search and rescue base. I then posted a picture of me with the boy to one of the Facebook groups I saw while eating dinner I’d seen mentioning the search. At that time, I didn’t know how big the search effort really was. When Bob arrived, he called 911. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Seems kind of the obvious thing to do, right? But I guess I was thinking that I have the boy and that there’s no longer an emergency? Note to self: call 911 in these kinds of situations. It was about 6:00 am.

Bob and I continued talking with the boy. He told us that he ran out of gas. I joked, would you like me to get gas out of my bike and put it into yours, so we can all ride back together. No surprised that he said yes. He went on to tell us that he races his bike, and that he loves it. He said that’s why he didn’t leave it. He said the bike stopped running (out of gas, I’m sure), and he pushed it for about 5 feet up a slight hill. He said that he wasn’t scared at all. He went to sleep after it got dark, but kept waking up because the helmet hurt his ears. That’s seemingly what bothered him the most of this whole ordeal. That is one tough kid! I know a lot of adults who can’t/wouldn’t do as well as this boy did. He was being as talkative and chatty as any other 5-year-old boy. This whole thing – camping alone by himself in the middle of the desert – was seemingly no big deal. As if he’d done it a hundred times.
Stephenie was with the parents, and they were told that they couldn’t’ come to the boy, but they’d have to wait until he was brought back to base by officials. Stephenie and I got each other on the phone again, and she handed it off to the mom so she could speak with her son. This was yet another moment that brought tears to my eyes.

The CHP airplane flew over a couple times and we all waved. Then they did a really low flyby. That was really neat, and I’m sure Otto loved it. A search and rescue team showed up after about 10-15 minutes. Otto was initially scared of them, until Bob and I assured him that they were our friends. He responded the same to the sheriff and paramedics who soon thereafter arrived to check him out. No surprise, he was cleared as being just fine. Bob and I knew that, but they have to do it. They loaded his bike and gear into the back seat of the sheriff’s truck and loaded him up to go. Bob suggested that Otto ask for them to hit the siren, so when they were driving away, we both smiled when we heard the siren. That was so cool.

They drove him back to the command base where his family and probably hundreds of people were glad to see him. Bob and I rode the fastest route back we could. Even on dirt roads, it was probably still a 15-minute-plus ride back at speed.

It was such a joy to see Otto back with his family. And it was a pleasure to be able to speak with the parents under much better circumstances. We took more pictures and answered lots of questions. Kind of funny, but Otto gave me back my Camelbak water bottle that he’d been sucking on the whole time (it was refilled when he got back). I wished I would have told him to just keep it, since he seemed to really like it. Oh such a relief after so many hours of adrenaline driving me.

We went back to camp to get some food and sit down and rest. I believe Bob took one of his boys’ old helmets to Otto so his ears don’t hurt so much when he rides. I walked our family over to theirs so they could understand that my family is what drove me to push on. I’m still so impressed by that boy, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. I hope to see him riding someday.
After we got camp loaded up and drove home, I finally got a nap later that evening, after looking some of the social media and news reports of the situation. I didn’t realize it was so huge. I’ve had a lot of people asking questions. Today, I finally checked the GPS coordinates, and I found that the boy was about exactly 4 miles from his camp, as the crow flies. Of course, that would be impossible with that terrain. I mapped his routes based on the tracks, and I found that his route was at least 16 miles, just based on what I know for sure. He could have gone more.

Anyhow, I’m glad their family is whole, as well as mine. This could easily happen to anyone. We’ll all live on to ride another day and tell this story many, many times. I’m thankful to know that there is truly hope in people during a real crisis. I saw other campers, local residents, search and rescue, and a lot of the off-road community come together to search for this boy. That was nothing short of awesome. I thank my family for supporting the effort. Stephenie stayed up all night in case I came back needing something urgently. She’s awesome. And, of course, thanks to Bob for being a good friend and supporting my persistence. This was a fortunate happy ending and a learning experience for all.

The detail and recollection in this write-up is mind blowing. It reads like a novel.

 

[WYRD]

Copied from Lee’s Facebook page.


NOTE: I’m posting this long story for myself to help remember what happened.

Well, I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on what was a very emotional Memorial Day weekend. As we commonly do, we went camping out at Cougar Buttes, just outside Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley, for a weekend of riding our dirt bikes. Sunday afternoon, around 3:30-4:00 pm, we heard from our neighbor camp that a boy from a few camps away was lost in the desert. I rode over to their camp to get more information. The 5-year-old boy had been missing since 2:00 pm, when the family was getting ready to go on a ride. Apparently, they thought the boy, Otto, was just going to warm up around camp, when they were briefly distracted. In no time, the boy was out of sight.

I went back to our camp to tell my family and the Surmons, who were camping with us. Heather quickly suited up and got on her bike to search along with Bob and John Surmon. We split up and quickly canvased the area. Being on bikes, we could travel the area fast, and since we’re standing up, we could see for quite a way. I found one group of campers who said that they saw the kid, which implied that he went a different direction than originally reported. A little later, sheriffs were on scene with a helicopter covering a wide area. No luck. Based on the area we covered, I knew he wasn’t there.

Later on, I had a hunch of which direction he went, John and I went out to explore that hunch, and I lucked out and found PW50 tire tracks in an area with no other tracks. The tracks turned around, leaving shoe prints as well. This was surely the boy’s tracks. John and I continued in the direction I suspected they went, but it was getting dark, and John’s bike didn’t have a light. We went back to camp and report our findings. Interestingly, we happened to be there while the sheriff was sharing their findings with the family. There was one scenario they were pursuing that might have involved another couple people who were camping nearby that seemed rather scary. I had seen the potential suspects the day before, and felt that they were quite sketchy, so I believed it was plausible.

After that, one of the family members called out a baby rattle snake on the ground about 5 feet away from John and I, heading away. Meaning, it could have gone right under us. In my haste to get out and search, I wasn’t riding in full gear. I only had hiking shoes, shorts, tee-shirt, and an open-face moto-trials helmet. I could have easily been bitten! Heck, I could have accidentally stepped on it and been bitten! A shovel was used to behead the critter. No, not by John or me. I know, these are good creatures, but…

After dinner, I put on proper riding gear and went over to the family, and they said there was a report with maybe a video or picture of the boy around 2:30 pm, in the direction of travel from where I saw marks. This gave me new hope. Well after dark, Bob and I went hunting the area where the report came from. We occasionally ran across search and rescue teams driving their assigned grids. We weren’t finding anything. A couple blocks away hours later, we got our big break; we found tire tracks. We reported them to one of the sheriffs driving around. They were still looking for a better confirmation, which is understandable – dirt bike tracks in this area weren’t uncommon. They had a picture of the tread from the Converse shoes the boy was wearing. I followed the tracks to where the boy turned and put his foot down. There was the Converse tread! We’re on it! Bob relayed the information, while I chased tracks following the Baja Designs headlight outfitted on the bike aided by my new Slyde King flashlight (I love both those lights!). The boy looped to where we first saw tracks, but this time headed the opposite direction. We followed those tracks down a few blocks to where he turned. The problem was, there were two tracks. We followed the tracks back and around a couple blocks, and back to where we saw the duplicates. It was simply a double-back. By this time, lots of volunteers from off-road and recovery groups were showing up to help. It was approaching 2:00-3:00 am.

Unfortunately, all these other vehicles were driving over the tracks, making them hard to find. Ones I’d previously seen were gone.
Bob and I had the unique experience of having kids who rode the same style PW50 bike, so we knew the tracks they made, as well as their riding characteristics. This knowledge, along with the shoe prints, was often useful to help determine the direction of travel, especially during loops and double-backs. With Bob and I being the only ones on dirt bikes, it was easy for us to see and follow the tracks. All the other search parties were in four-wheel vehicles, ranging from side-by-sides to all kinds of 4x4s.

With so many people there, we’d almost given up for the night. However, I had a hunch of which direction he went. We decided to follow the hunch. As we approached every intersection, we carefully inspect it for tracks. We also checked every entrance to properties. We’d gone at least a mile or two down this dirt road on just a hunch. The hope of this plan was starting to turn bleak. Did he go a different way? No idea. And then I saw a path that veered off from the main road. I initially didn’t see anything, but then I finally found tracks. We’re back in the hunt! The boy was heading back into the hills. We followed the tracks for some time, but in some areas, it was a bit difficult, as other vehicles had been through there since the previous day’s afternoon.

Fortunately, the boy mostly stayed on the trail, generally only veering off to make U-turns and the occasional turn. At one trail intersection, he went multiple directions with double-backs and loops. It was difficult to keep track of. Fortunately, Bob was tracking our search patterns with his GPS so we could see where we’ve been. Remember, the desert at night looks the same, whichever way you face. Though I was keeping an eye on various landmarks to know where I was, I was admittedly losing track of which route I had explored. Some I think I had explored many times.

The teamwork that Bob and I had as we’d been searching all night was awesome. Whether it was leap-frogging while searching intersections to splitting up to explore various paths, the synergy was awesome. This was the biggest help as a team. We finally got to the point where we were repeating the same loops and double-backs, but not finding another trail. It was about 4:00 am, and Bob’s bike was running low on gas. We went back to camp. Bob shared his GPS information with the command post.

We went back to camp and gassed up and grabbed more water to carry. After a few minutes, dawn started to break, and we were ready to get back out there. At this point, I was never so motivated. I remember saying to Bob, “Let’s go bring this boy home.” We bombed over to the area where we’d last seen tracks. Despite not having any sleep, I was full of energy. It wasn’t long after being back in the area that other people were out there searching, since Bob had given the coordinates to the rescue officials.

Unfortunately, people driving in were covering tracks. I was telling this to one guy as he’s walking all over the boy’s foot prints. Sigh… Another guy started to get a little argumentative when I asked him to drive to the side of the trails so as night to cover the boy’s tire tracks.

Bob and I split up a bit so we could each canvas the area. Again, being on bikes, we could cover ground much faster than the four-wheel vehicles. While I was up on a hill looking about, I saw a coyote running by. You could image my thoughts. Not good. I continued and went back to an area where I’d seen tire tracks before.

I finally got a lucky break where I saw another track I didn’t recall seeing during the night. It was tough, because things look different at sunrise than they do under the light of the moon. I started following it. This went through some terrain I absolutely knew I hadn’t been on during the night. I followed it away from the search area. The tracks kept going and going. It was a nasty, deep sand wash – especially for a PW50, but the tire tracks were defined well enough. I could see the boy used his feet as outriggers for stability. Nonetheless, this kid was a good rider. We’d known that all night. The tracks went on for some ways.

I knew he would be at the end of these tracks. However, one thing kept haunting me. Bob mentioned that we might not like what we find. And he was absolutely right. I kept thinking about that. I want to see this out, but it could be bad. I was still super driven, but the anxiety thinking about that was getting to me as I felt I was getting closer. After all, this kid’s bike had to run out of gas at some point, right? After all the searching during the previous day and through the night, I knew not to always trust my eyes. I chased down so many mylar balloons, broken cooler lids, and Bud Light beer boxes because they all seemed to fit the description of the kid or his bike. At least from a distance.

Up ahead there was a trail that veered off the sandy wash. Just after the split, I see something that didn’t match any of the items above, or any other desert junk. It was too brightly colored. It was him! He was laying on the ground next to his bike. The thoughts of what Bob said haunted me again. As excited as I was, I was scared. I rolled up to the boy. He was wearing his helmet laying next to the bike. His shirt was pulled over his knees, and both of his shoes were sitting on the other side of the bike. He was still laying still, but then he started to move and get up. I felt the most overwhelming sigh of relief. I said, “Hey Otto, I’m so glad to see you! Are you OK?” He said yes and took off his helmet. I offered him my water bottle which he held onto and drank for some time. His lips were badly chapped, but he otherwise seemed fine. He was still a bit sleepy, it seemed. I offered him some peppermint candies I had in my pack. He seemed to really like those. I could imagine, having some flavor after not having consumed anything for nearly 16 hours must have been welcoming.

I called Bob to tell him where I was. He was there in minutes. Nobody in the world can ride that kind of sand wash faster than him. Seriously. While waiting for Bob, I relayed my live location to Stephenie, so she could give it to the search and rescue base. I then posted a picture of me with the boy to one of the Facebook groups I saw while eating dinner I’d seen mentioning the search. At that time, I didn’t know how big the search effort really was. When Bob arrived, he called 911. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Seems kind of the obvious thing to do, right? But I guess I was thinking that I have the boy and that there’s no longer an emergency? Note to self: call 911 in these kinds of situations. It was about 6:00 am.

Bob and I continued talking with the boy. He told us that he ran out of gas. I joked, would you like me to get gas out of my bike and put it into yours, so we can all ride back together. No surprised that he said yes. He went on to tell us that he races his bike, and that he loves it. He said that’s why he didn’t leave it. He said the bike stopped running (out of gas, I’m sure), and he pushed it for about 5 feet up a slight hill. He said that he wasn’t scared at all. He went to sleep after it got dark, but kept waking up because the helmet hurt his ears. That’s seemingly what bothered him the most of this whole ordeal. That is one tough kid! I know a lot of adults who can’t/wouldn’t do as well as this boy did. He was being as talkative and chatty as any other 5-year-old boy. This whole thing – camping alone by himself in the middle of the desert – was seemingly no big deal. As if he’d done it a hundred times.
Stephenie was with the parents, and they were told that they couldn’t’ come to the boy, but they’d have to wait until he was brought back to base by officials. Stephenie and I got each other on the phone again, and she handed it off to the mom so she could speak with her son. This was yet another moment that brought tears to my eyes.

The CHP airplane flew over a couple times and we all waved. Then they did a really low flyby. That was really neat, and I’m sure Otto loved it. A search and rescue team showed up after about 10-15 minutes. Otto was initially scared of them, until Bob and I assured him that they were our friends. He responded the same to the sheriff and paramedics who soon thereafter arrived to check him out. No surprise, he was cleared as being just fine. Bob and I knew that, but they have to do it. They loaded his bike and gear into the back seat of the sheriff’s truck and loaded him up to go. Bob suggested that Otto ask for them to hit the siren, so when they were driving away, we both smiled when we heard the siren. That was so cool.

They drove him back to the command base where his family and probably hundreds of people were glad to see him. Bob and I rode the fastest route back we could. Even on dirt roads, it was probably still a 15-minute-plus ride back at speed.

It was such a joy to see Otto back with his family. And it was a pleasure to be able to speak with the parents under much better circumstances. We took more pictures and answered lots of questions. Kind of funny, but Otto gave me back my Camelbak water bottle that he’d been sucking on the whole time (it was refilled when he got back). I wished I would have told him to just keep it, since he seemed to really like it. Oh such a relief after so many hours of adrenaline driving me.

We went back to camp to get some food and sit down and rest. I believe Bob took one of his boys’ old helmets to Otto so his ears don’t hurt so much when he rides. I walked our family over to theirs so they could understand that my family is what drove me to push on. I’m still so impressed by that boy, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. I hope to see him riding someday.
After we got camp loaded up and drove home, I finally got a nap later that evening, after looking some of the social media and news reports of the situation. I didn’t realize it was so huge. I’ve had a lot of people asking questions. Today, I finally checked the GPS coordinates, and I found that the boy was about exactly 4 miles from his camp, as the crow flies. Of course, that would be impossible with that terrain. I mapped his routes based on the tracks, and I found that his route was at least 16 miles, just based on what I know for sure. He could have gone more.

Anyhow, I’m glad their family is whole, as well as mine. This could easily happen to anyone. We’ll all live on to ride another day and tell this story many, many times. I’m thankful to know that there is truly hope in people during a real crisis. I saw other campers, local residents, search and rescue, and a lot of the off-road community come together to search for this boy. That was nothing short of awesome. I thank my family for supporting the effort. Stephenie stayed up all night in case I came back needing something urgently. She’s awesome. And, of course, thanks to Bob for being a good friend and supporting my persistence. This was a fortunate happy ending and a learning experience for all.

Surely a lasting memory for everyone involved, especially Lee, Bob, and Otto

 

[coolchange]

got it, only put half gallon into your kids bike at a time so they cant get too far away. heh.

1/2gal in a pw50 will get you forty miles lol.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

The guy that found him posted a long debrief, good read.

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[RiverDave]

That guy is a ln amazing writer..

I don’t understand this part

Stephenie was with the parents, and they were told that they couldn’t’ come to the boy, but they’d have to wait until he was brought back to base by officials.