3-year-old OK, mom arrested after Amber Alert becomes rescue in ‘steep’ California river canyon
A 3-year-old boy and his mother, who was suspected of abducting him, were located using GPS and an aircraft typically employed to map wildfires. They were found in a river canyon in Nevada County on Friday night, following an Amber Alert issued by Northern California authorities for a child abduction.
The California Highway Patrol and Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said the boy was allegedly taken by his mother in an unincorporated part of the county about 11:33 a.m. Authorities said that the child was abducted during an assault on North Bloomfield Road, near Grizzly Hill Road. The area is close to the South Yuba Campground, approximately six miles northwest of Nevada City.
The 30-year-old mother was accused of taking the boy and was on foot. They were last seen heading southeast toward the South Yuba River. Officials expressed concern after the mother made “self-harm statements.”
In an update at 8:45 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office announced that both were found safe down a “steep river canyon,” with the help of FIRIS — an aircraft used to map active wildfire perimeters — operated by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
“Suspect and child have been located alive down a steep river canyon,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. “Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers, led by Sheriff’s Office personnel, heard noises and cries for help and alerted partners of their GPS coordinates. Cal OES was able to confirm the child and suspect’s location with their FIRIS airplane.”
This marked the first time the aircraft had been used in a missing person’s case since the fixed-wing FIRIS — an acronym for Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System — was brought under state control. This plane operated by OES, Cal Fire, and the CHP, after its development by the Orange County Fire Authority and funding by the Legislature under the 2019-20 state budget, according to the fire authority.
The FIRIS platform offers real-time fire perimeter mapping and hotspot detection, providing fire crews on the ground with modeling and situational awareness essential for battling wildfires. The system was deployed in the state’s first big wildfire of 2024, the Corral Fire, south of Tracy. The grass fire that sparked on the Alameda County border came under full containment Thursday afternoon after charring 14,168 acres in San Joaquin County.
“CHP responded with their helicopter and located both the subject and child by aerial observation,” deputies said. “The child was safely air-lifted out of the river canyon with no injuries. The suspect is currently being assisted out of the river canyon by ropes. She too is physically OK.”
Deputies added: “Thank you to our amazing partners, search volunteers, and the community at large for your assistance in this matter.” That included 43 volunteers from the Nevada County sheriff’s search-and-rescue team.
On Saturday morning, deputies said the mother was arrested and would face felony charges of domestic violence, child abduction and child endangerment. She was expected to be booked into jail following medical clearance.
This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 6:37 PM.
