HAYDEN, Idaho (WTHR) - A father-son hunting trip led to the discovery of a teenager who had been reported missing in the Idaho woods.
Chris Trumbich and his 15-year-old stepson were hunting near Hayden, Idaho when they saw the search party for 19-year-old Kathryn Ogle. As they drove toward their family cabin, the men saw a "HELP" message etched in the dirt.
They said they thought the message could have been left by a hunter, but remembered the search for Ogle and took a picture.
"In the picture, you can see I started to drive over (the message)," Trumbich said.
Instead, they drove back to the search party and showed the rescuers, who were beginning to pack up for the night. Upon seeing the picture, they jumped into action.
Returning to the spot where they found the help message, one of the rescuers yelled "Hello?" and got a faint reply from down a hill. At the bottom, they found Ogle next to a sleeping bag, scared, but alive and well.
The hunters later learned she had gotten into their cabin looking for supplies. They told KHQ-TV they were grateful their property was able to help Ogle out in her time of need.
"She looked very scared when she came out, like she was scared she was going to get in trouble like we were going to yell at her for being in the cabin. Katie, if you're watching this, we're just happy you're alive," Gordon said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said Ogle was likely going to be taken to a local hospital as a precaution, but appeared to be "in relatively good condition" when she was located.