We are very grateful for the Olympic National Park Search and Rescue Team volunteers from all over Washington along with the local government agencies for finding our son, Jon Pontrello, after he was three days overdue from returning from a hike on the Bogachiel Trail. Their expertise in working with clues and intuition resulted in Jon’s safe return. Time was running short as rain, snow and hail fell non-stop for five days. After several days of delirium and two days of searching for the trail, seeing the helicopter within close proximity was the highlight of his hiking trip.
Shortly before the elements of nature would have become life-threatening, our son, Jon Pontrello, and his friend were rescued on Jon’s 18th birthday. Both Jon Pontrello and Jon Parks were found with less than 1 ounce of food; and their hands and feet were so cold that they couldn’t bend their fingers or walk without severe pain.
Finding out that they had been found and would be returning home was the answer to our family’s prayers. Our appreciation of the search and rescue team cannot fully be expressed in words but will be felt in our hearts forever. We also want to thank our friends and the community for their love, encouragement and prayers during this scary time.
Everett
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