A 13-year-old Boy Scout hiked for help while his seriously injured father waited with their wrecked vehicle.
Mono Sheriff Officials report that at about 7:35 Sunday evening, deputies responded to a report of an overturned vehicle on a remote dirt road in the Bridgeport area. 48-year-old Chadwick Gilzean of Shingle Springs had lost control of his vehicle, hit a tree and overturned. On board was Gilzeans 13-year-old son, Ian. The two were on a Boy Scout camping trip in the area when the accident occurred. Ian was able to climb out of the overturned vehicle. He was injured, but bandaged his own hand before helping his father out of the vehicle.
His father was unconscious and unresponsive when the young man dragged his father from the wreck. The father also had difficulty breathing, so Ian cleared his fathers airway. The man eventually regained consciousness. Ian covered his father with a sleeping bag and packed up to go for help. Using a GPS device, the young man determined the direction of the nearest highway and headed out with a sleeping bag, water purifier, small hatchet, first aid kit, flashlight, matches and other survival items.
Ian hiked for an unknown time and distance before coming to a steep hillside leading down to the West Walker River. Ian slid down the hillside and then crossed the Walker River to get to the highway where he flagged down a passing car for help.
Sheriff Officials say that Ian was then able to explain in detail to Sheriffs deputies, California Highway Patrol officers, Paramedics, and fire personnel where his father was located. He also helped guide the emergency crews to where he left his father. Due to the severity of the injuries, the elder Gilzean was picked up by helicopter and flown to Renown Medical Center in Reno.
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