Jace...Lost and found!!!

Jace and Ben went on a Boy Scout campout this weekend and Jace got lost!!! The details are still not totally put together but from what Jace wants to talk about here goes...Thankfully I did not learn all of this until they returned safe and sound Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning a small group of boys went biking with a leader and another small group of boys went hiking with a leader. Ben stayed at camp to keep watch on the gear. Well, Jace was hiking and somehow got separated from the group and took a wrong turn at a fork on the trail. He soon realized that it was the wrong way when the trail was getting darker and he wasn't catching up or being followed by anyone he knew. Everyone else got back down to camp and Ben asked where Jace was! I guess each leader assumed he was with the other one! (Greatest nightmare of Scout camp come true!) Of course they immeadiately went back up to the trails and areas they had been and started asking everyone they came across if they had seen Jace or to keep a lookout. Jace was on foot so I imagine they figured he could not be too far. Well Jace was lost for about an hour they figured! He came accross a guy on a horse with some other kids and asked for help. He got on the horse with the guy and they went up a cliff...Jace said the horse almost fell off...to where Jace thought they had started or been. After no luck or sense of familiarity, Jace asked which way the parking lot was (smart thinking) and the guy took him back to the spot they started and pointed him in the right direction. As Jace was on his way down (in the right direction) one on his leaders spotted him. You can imagine how worried Jace would have been! Luckily the weather was really nice. His touque was all wet though (tears) but he stayed warm. I had asked if he had said a little prayer that he would be found and okay and his response was "Ya! Like seven times!!!" Duh!?! Well several people on the trails where looking for him and made sure even when they were told he was found and with a leader that he really was okay. Apparently "some old lady" and her husband, when she saw him safe and finally found with his leader, just came up to him and hugged him and held on to him saying how grateful she was that he had been found and how she had been praying for him. Now imagine some complete stranger doing this to Jace..apparently the stiff look on his face and body was priceless. Well we are so thankful Jace is safe and home...probably traumatized for life...but nevertheless okay from his ordeal. Needless to say, the importance of the buddy system and staying with the group was reemphasized to all! I guess the guy with the horse had a whistle but "apparently it didn't work" said Jace.

Guess who is going to have a whistle duct taped to his head next time he goes camping!!!