Overview

• A mother and her 9-year-old son were reported missing July 12 after their GPS unit lost signal en route to Camp Wolfeboro and they stopped responding to check-ins.
• Search teams narrowed the search zone using location-sharing app data and a 911 text from campers who spotted a vehicle matching their description.
• A volunteer search squad training nearby discovered two handwritten notes pinned at Forest Service road intersections that directed them toward the stranded pair.
• Conventional communications failed under dense canopy, prompting teams to switch to ham radio to relay the discovery, free their disabled vehicle and coordinate the rescue.
• Authorities credited pre-trip notifications, hazard lights, whistle signals and the coordinated multi-agency response for the swift outcome; the pair has been safely reunited with relatives and no further search is underway.