Charna Flam is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work has previously appeared on Variety, The New York Post, and The Wrap.
A young boy was rescued after he alerted authorities he was lost in the Colorado mountains, Douglas County Search and Rescue (DCSAR) field director Dave Arnett confirmed to PEOPLE.
The 10-year-old boy embarked on an ATV ride with his family in Rampart Range, Colo. (which is around 50 miles south of Denver). Then, around noon local time on Dec. 9, he separated from his family for a "very short ride and turn around and come back."
But then, around 1:45 p.m., he realized he was lost in some technical trails, prompting him to alert authorities. "He stopped, stayed calm, called 911 (enabling dispatch to get his coordinates and activate DCSAR), and stayed in one place until we arrived," read a Dec. 9 DCSAR Facebook post.
Once DCSAR was contacted, the office responded shortly after with 25 volunteers who helped with ATVs, UAVs (drones), or on foot.
"Our drone pilot was able to fly a drone to those coordinates and actually see the young man, and we were able to follow up with our ATV team and get to him and actually rescue him and bring him out," the DCSAR rep said. The drone was used initially to communicate with the child. It was then used to deliver a plastic bag with protein bars, gel packs, water, a winter hat and a thermal blanket for him until authorities arrived at the site.
A couple hours later, around 4:30 p.m., the child was back to safety and back to his parents and his family. "It was a wonderful reunion moment to bring this 10-year-old young man back to his very concerned family," Arnett said, clarifying that the boy's family stayed at the search and rescue agency's command post during the mission.
Arnett explained they were able to keep the family informed with help from drone footage. "They could actually see when we located, and they knew that we were in contact with him; we could relay that back."
"They were kept in tune very much all the way through," Arnett continued. "But, it's never done till your child's back in your arms."
"Overjoyed to say it worked out well, and the young rider is ok and back with his family (a priceless reunion)," read the Facebook post.
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The Douglas County Sheriff's Office also announced the successful rescue mission on Facebook.
"We are so proud of our Douglas County Search and Rescue family!! This was the first time, other than during training, that supplies had been dropped via drone. This is just another great example of the extent we will go to take care of our community," the sheriff's office wrote.