Yesterday firefighters found a woman and her three young children who became lost while hiking Meriden Mountain at Camp Sloper in Southington, Connecticut. The mother of three ultimately helped rescue herself and her family using the GPS tracking system on her cell phone. Good thing there’s a cell phone signal up there!
The woman and her three children, aged 6 to 9, began their hike around 6:30 p.m on Monday evening. They hiked up the mountain and became lost after stepping off the trail, according to Fire Lt. John Folcik. The woman called 911 around 8 p.m. and remained on the phone while Southington and Meriden firefighters searched for the stranded family.
Police were able to locate her using the GPS tracking system coordinates on her cell phone. Meriden firefighters found them just before 9 p.m. near Castle Craig. Folcik said she had wandered towards the Meriden town line so fire and police were able to use access roads on the mountain to find her and her three children.
When the officers found the family they were cold, but did not require any medical attention. After the family was wrapped in blankets to warm up, an officer gave them a ride back to their car and sent them on their way.
This story is yet another reminder to always be careful when hiking, especially with young children. Hikers should always carry a fully charged GPS tracking system of some sort – either a handheld GPS system or a cell phone equipped with GPS tracking capabilities. Also, hikers should bring extra water. You should also try to bring an extra layer of clothing, just in case.