A nonverbal California teen is discovered by rescuers when they hear him clinking rocks. On April 3rd, the Los Angeles County Sheriff responded to a call about a lost 16-year-old boy who’d gone missing while enjoying the outdoors with his family in the Crescenta Valley Park north of Los Angeles. The teen, who is developmentally disabled, wandered away from his mother and sister in what they described as “uncharacteristic” behavior.
Several hours into the search operation, a search and rescue team member heard what sounded like rocks clinking together. He remembered the mother mentioned that the teen liked to play with rocks, so he followed the sound and alerted the helicopter that was assisting in the search of his location. The helicopter crew spotted the teen 400 feet off the road in thick brush and the rescuer was able to traverse the mountain and make contact with the boy.
Recognizing that it was a sensitive situation, the rescuer spent a few minutes building a rapport with the teen. He then was able to lead him up the mountain to safety. The teen was checked out by paramedics and was found to be in good health and uninjured. He was then reunited with his grateful family.
Source: CNN