Tuolumne SAR (YOSAR) requested a mutual aid response for a missing 8 year old hiker in the area of Mono Pass. The boy was described as having brown hair wearing a purple tie-dyed shirt and blue jeans. His name was Ryan.

YOSAR explained that Ryan was hiking with his family near Spillway Lake and had somehow become separated; they suspected that he was continuing on the trail that goes over Mono Pass into the Walker Lake drainage. YOSAR requested that we conduct a hasty search of the trails in the area of Mono Pass and they were sending a ground team over the pass from the west.

Mono SAR Team members were working on a previous call near Devils Postpile, but others were available to respond to this one. Two SAR members started on the west side of Walker Lake and headed west toward the top of Mono Pass.

Patrol Deputies and a single SAR member were checking the several different trailheads and camping areas. Field Team 1 advised over the radio that he had spoken to 2 individuals that had seen Ryan in the area of Little Sardine Lake at approximately 1345 hours. Ryan looked OK and his direction of travel was east towards Walker Lake.

At 1745, dispatch was contacted by a group of campers in the area stating that Ryan had walked into their campsite near the trailhead. At 1805 hours, Field Team 1 advised that he was with Ryan and conducting a medical assessment. Ryan was tired, but happy and healthy. Two YOSAR team members and Ryan were provided a ride back to Yosemite. SAR members were in the field from 1500 to 2000 hours.

Responders were: Pelichowski (IC & Ops), Bush, Kallemeyn, and Hagan. The Team volunteered 21 man hours for this call.