- after getting stranded for more than 24 hours. A search and rescue team found the pair on 12 July after discovering multiple notes tucked beneath rocks, left by the mother, aged 49. "HELP. Me and my son are stranded with no service and can't call 911," one said.

The pair were found by members of the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team, who already happened to be in the area. The mother told ABC10 it had been a "very scary experience", but paid tribute to the "amazing" efforts of the rescuers. The mission was detailed in a Facebook post by the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office.

On 11 July, someone phoned the Calaveras County Dispatch Center and informed officers that the duo were "overdue" to return after departing for Camp Wolfeboro around 11:30 PST (18:30 GMT), the post said. The mother and son were also not responding to phone calls, police were informed. Speaking to ABC10, the mother, who identified herself as Tami, confirmed that they were unable to make any calls of their own, and that her son Stirling resorted to blowing his Cub Scout whistle in an effort to gain attention. She had been attempting to drop off Stirling for a camping trip, she explained.

The police Facebook post said a volunteer search and rescue team already in the area for monthly training was soon deployed. It established a command post along the highway that leads to Wolfeboro. "The team began assessing the terrain and the complex network of interconnecting, labyrinth-like roads to establish effective search parameters," the post added. "Air assets" and "specially equipped" off-road vehicles were also used in the search. A group of campers sent a text message to an emergency line telling police that they had seen a vehicle matching the description of the missing persons, which authorities said "confirmed that the teams were searching in the correct area". Shortly afterwards, a rescue crew located the first handwritten message. (BBC/ Calaveras County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)