Two young girls were safely found yesterday after being reported missing last Friday.
The sisters Caroline and Leia Carrico aged five and eight were discovered 44 hours after they went missing deep in the Californian wilderness.
Search teams were able to locate the girls, who survived by drinking fresh water from Huckleberry leaves, by following food wrappers and the footprints left behind by the girls’ boots.
The woods surrounding California can be treacherous and authorities have said that part of the girls’ safe return is due to their wilderness training.
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal spoke at a conference yesterday announcing that Caroline and Leia had been found;
“We’re all witnessing a miracle. This is rugged territory, this is extreme environment. They [the girls] were trained through 4-H for outdoor survival, we believe that played a part in their survival, Honsal said. 4-H is a non-profit that runs youth groups around the country.”
According to BuzzFeed News over 250 people from 14 agencies were involved in the search for the girls, which came to a happy ending yesterday.
Tracks and wrappers left behind by the girls led searchers to an area near Richardson Grove State Park, where they shouted their names and got a response. The girls said that they had been following a deer trail when they became lost.
The young girls were dehydrated and cold but thankfully not injured. Caroline and Leia were reunited with their parents yesterday shortly after 10:30 am.
