*** Night Search for Young Snowboarders *** To: Search & Rescue Info Date sent: Fri, 29 Mar 96 15:56:25 -0800 From: Bruce_Bowler@jhqnov.dot.state.ak.us To: SARINFO@mindlink.bc.ca, CHarms%fishgame@state.ak.us Juneau, Alaska: Four turned-around Twelve-year-old snowboarders were rescued just before midnight after a field trip with their middle school class. Their teachers had turned them loose to explore the slopes and expected them to get home on their own. Anxious parents began calling the school around 5, and quickly assembled snowmachiners and other searchers when the school admitted not knowing where the kids were. SEADOGS, Juneau Ski Patrol, Douglas Island Snowmachiners, Juneau PD, Forest Service, and a small armada of fishing and Coast Guard boats began searching from the peaks to the beach just after dark. Eaglecrest's snow-cats trudged up the slopes in the dark looking for some sign of the kids. Search dogs curled up by the radio in the command post waiting for their turn. Shortly after 9:30, 4 sets of tracks were spotted going down the steep back-side of Douglas Island behind the ski area by Eaglecrest Ski patrollers on snowmachines. Patrollers followed the tracks on skis, and then on foot through rocky, icy drainages and along heavily timbered cliffs. At 10:34, the "FV Alaska Dream" and the Coast Guard 41 foot patrol boat spotted four dark figures huddled together on the rocks by the shore. The kids had taken a wrong turn, and thought that they were heading toward the Lodge. They had pushed on after dark, trying to find the road or a ski run, but ended up scrambling down-slope to the water. A Coast Guard Helicopter from Sitka arrived to light up the area with night- suns, and carried the tired and colds kids back to their families at the search base. -----------------------------------------