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Sierra County Search for 8-year-old
August 1994
El Dorado County SAR personnel responded to a mutual aid call to Sierra County on August 11, 1994 for a boy who got separated from his parents while hiking. The search eventually drew over 100 searchers from all over Northern California and received extensive media attention.
The boy, 8-year-old Brad Takasuka, stumbled and fell off the edge of the trail while hiking with his family. His parents, just out of sight at the time, doubled back but could not find the vanished boy. Sierra County searchers combed the rugged terrain without success, then put out a mutual aid call. SAR volunteers from 14 counties responded, plus a half-dozen dog teams, 2 or 3 helicopters, and the Salvation Army mobile kitchen.
El Dorado County fielded 6 people. Four from the west slope met at the Sheriff's Office at 1430 and then, after some initial confusion over transportation plans, headed to the Tahoe substation. Despite delays for road work, they arrived at Tahoe, picked up another west slope SAR volunteer and a Tahoe deputy and headed for Sierra County in four cars.
They got to the search base camp at about 2030 that evening. The Sierra County people, many of whom had been working under stress for nearly 48 hours, were glad to see them. However, because the terrain was rugged and darkness was falling, the El Dorado team was told to find cots and get some sleep until 0600 the following morning.
At the start of the third day, the search had turned up no clues, and search managers were now setting up grid searches. The El Dorado group was assigned to grid search 3 square miles, from the PLS west.
Brad was finally found when searchers from the his own county, Santa Clara, finally heard his cries for help and located him on the side of a rocky mountain, uninjured.
He reported that he had panicked and run blindly when he realized he was lost. His run took him in the opposite direction from his parents, and during the next two days he wandered a mile from the PLS and 1500 feet lower.
He was helicoptered to a hospital, and was reported in good condition.
His father praised the searchers, saying it was wonderful "to share this moment with all these people who put their hearts and souls into finding one little boy. They gave more than 100 percent." |