Crime & Safety
Lost Boy Found Near Lake Elsinore
The boy was reported lost Sunday night in the Cleveland National Forest near South Main Divide and the Ortega Highway.
A 14-year-old Lake Elsinore boy who became lost hiking in the Cleveland National Forest and sought rescue managed to find his own way out Monday, even after a search party was mobilized.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the 14-year-old called 911 via his cellphone around 10 p.m. Sunday saying he couldn't get his bearings after an excursion in the area of South Main Divide and the Ortega Highway.
Emergency personnel were able to isolate the teenager's location by pinging his cellphone and went to find him but were hobbled by "extremely difficult ... terrain and extremely thick vegetation," said sheriff's Sgt. Ken Chaffin.
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"With the aid of an airship, the juvenile's location was visually verified," Chaffin said. "However, the air rescue efforts were suspended due to weather conditions."
According to Chaffin, a rescue team came within shouting distance of the boy around 6 a.m. today but lost contact with him by the time they had reached his location.
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Around five hours later, the teen emerged at the intersection of Ortega Highway and Grand Avenue.
"Aside from a few minor scratches, he was found to be in good health," Chaffin said, adding that the boy was reunited with family members a short time later.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the youth's family would be held responsible for the cost of the rescue effort.
