44 Hours After Two Little Girls Went Missing, They’re in Their Parents’ Arms
![Group hug as Leia and Caroline are reunited with family and friends. [Photo by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Document-1.jpg)
Group hug as Leia and Caroline are reunited with family and friends. [Photo by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
Search and rescue teams have located Caroline and Leia Carrico alive and well, more than 44 hours after they were last seen in Southern Humboldt County.
On March 3, 2019, around 10:30 a.m., searchers Delbert Chumley and Abram Hill from the Piercy Volunteer Fire Department located the two girls approximately 1.4 miles away from their home in Benbow.
Chumley and Hill located boot prints believed to belong to the girls around 8:30 a.m. today, March 3. Those tracks led the team southeast to an area near Richardson Grove State Park. Caroline and Leia responded when crew members called out to them. The girls were located huddled together under a bush. The sisters were evaluated by medical personnel for dehydration and given water and warm, dry clothing. They were reunited with family shortly after being located. The girls told first responders that they were following a deer trail when they had become lost. The two decided to stay put, drinking fresh water from Huckleberry leaves.
More than 250 personnel from across the state responded to assist in this operation. TheHumboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all of the agencies and jurisdictions involved in bringing Caroline and Leia home safe. We would like to especially thank the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for their assistance in coordinating agency response from across the state, the California National Guard for their ground and air support provided, and Mendocino, Napa and Marin counties for helping organize the search and rescue operation.
Earlier Chapters:
- Ongoing Search and Rescue for Two Young Girls in the Twin Trees Area of Southern Humboldt
- Sheriff’s Department Releases More on the Missing Girls in Humboldt County
- FBI and Child Abduction Team Consulting in Case of Missing Girls
- Have You Seen Us? Public Asked to Share Flyer About Missing Girls
- Private Drone ‘Almost Caused a Serious Incident’ With Search Helicopter Looking for Leia and Caroline
- A Worried Community Eager to Find Missing Girls
- Hugs and Kisses (Leia and Caroline Carrico Back Home With Mom and Dad)
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Right on!!! So very glad to hear this outcome.
Best news ever!!!
Many thanks to everyone including you Kym!!!!!
You of course reported on this immediately, and handled some serious comment sections very well!
I know you always brush off credit to those with “boots on the ground” but im sure this was just as emotional for you to report on as it was for our local searchers to be out workin on.
Honestly this morning i was just waiting for your site to come back online, i knew your reporting on this was what i wanted. These are our kids, our community of non blood familly whether we know them or not. You are the one we trust kym&we all know you hold the same values.
So many thanks to you. You deserve many awards&i hope our local folks inspire other communities, you ought to teach some local journalism courses!
3 cheers for all involved!!!
Aww, very nice thanks but it really is those folks doing everything from pumping the portapotties to pounding the hillsides that are the heroes in this.
Exactly the humble answer i expected kym ?
It takes everyone on every level for sure. I just hope you know i for one value you just as much as those on the ground. Its not easy being the messenger. We all look to you because we trust you!
Think about it, you are the reporter whom the mom texted when the girls were found. That doesnt happen many places.
You are truly a part of our community and embody local journalism heart mind and soul. I just hope you know how much you are appreciated.
It was a good lil test this morning, i realized how dang bummed i’d be if you werent there.
We love you kym!!!!!!!!!
I about lost my mind when Reddit killed my site just as we knew something was happening. It reminded me of some sloow ogre grabbing a kitten and squeezing it. “It is cute and fluffy and we wuv’s it…” until my poor site collapsed.
Ah, now your stepping into the bid league, you need a content delivery network pronto! When all i saw trying to load your site was “unable to establish connection to the database” i knew you were slammed. And for quite some time! Good job 🙂 Thanks for all you do❤
Kym, you had a small army screaming at their computer screens with you yesterday. You were the only coverage for the first 24 hours and were greatly responsible for such a response. You deserved to be there to report the good news, I was sooo pissed for you!
I used Facebook to get the story out but yes…it was frustrating as heck.
Facebook is where Scott at 101 Net Link went when he then telephoned me with the good news.
I know people complain about Facebook and it worries me that I wasn’t able to reach many of my readers there. But it was a sanity saver for me yesterday.
So thankful that these two little girls will sleep warm and safe at home tonight. Love to everyone that helped find them, and peace and quiet to the family so they can heal and find calm at the end of what had to be a horrible experience.
Incredible search skills and dedication. Go PVFD!
God bless all the prayerful people and search and rescue teams.
Can you even imagine the relief those parents must feel? What a Beautiful Day!
Enough to make me believe in unicorns. What a lovely miracle those little ones are home in their parents’ arms.
Even though I didn’t know these girls personally, their absence tore a hole through my heart, and made me feel like this community was completely out of balance. Seeing them return safely home to their family put the pieces back together. I am overjoyed, and so thankful for the wonderful outcome.
I especially love that the mother never gave up, she knew her babies were safe and didn’t let negative thoughts enter her mind. Here is to the power of positive thought. Love to all.
My entire family was thinking about the Carrico family last night, all cuddled, safe and warm and together in their home. Made us appreciate our cuddles that much more. Blessings to all
I’m so happy right now!
Once again Kym, you are here for our community! Many thanks!
best of all possible outcomes
happy happy
This news is close to bringing tears to my eyes. So happy.
And to know the team that found them were led by locals is even more encouraging.
Let us remember that in times of true crisis and concern, we can and do get clear on our priorities, and pull together for the common good.
I spent the last 2 weeks worrying and obsessing over things that, in retrospect, didn’t matter, and the last 2 days just willing these sweet girls to be well and found. It really shows you what is truly important in life.
Best out come ever thank god!
YES!!!! ????
Tears of relief!
Thank you!
Actually – smart kids to stay put and not get MORE lost.
I am so glad they are safe!
Awesome! It appears they did the most intelligent thing one can do when lost in the woods, stay put and hunker down and let help find you.
Speechless and about to see a grown man cry, overwhelmed with happiness, great great, happy ending.
So glad they were found safe. This event made me reevaluate my family safety equipment and have a detailed talk with my kids about what to do if they get lost out there. It also made me even more appreciative of our local volunteer organizations, please please donate if you can! I know I will be.
Kym you are the best You honestly deserve a million dollars You keep this community updated and I appreciate you sooooo much. I’m so glad they are alright. Thank you soooo much. Without you most would’ve not even known. Keep it up So glad we get to move to next story. ?????????
Thank you!
With all of the heavily financed governmental agencies searching– FBI, Sheriff departments, ironically it is the little volunteer fire department of Piercy who finds the girls. This same fire department receives no Measure Z Humboldt County funds, eventhough they respond frequently to calls over that boundary, “out of their jurisdiction” Rather in fact the Mateel board still owes them for 2016 & 2017 Reggae on the River.
In fact only a handful of their
volunteers respond year-around to some of the most treacherous highway in the state covering from Twin Trees bridge in Humboldt County to Jitney Creek bridge just North of Leggett. This handful of dedicated volunteers get toned out to respond to emergencies not just in their own community, but to all the travelers who need assistance on this stretch of Highway 101 or in the forests, parks, campgrounds, and businesses surrounding the Piercy community. With very little in property revenues Piercy’s Fire Department is totally Fundraising constantly to continue to provide services, because insurance, equipment, training, and fire engines are not cheap.
So… if you are thankful that the Carrico girls were found,please consider making a small donation to the Piercy Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department: PO Box 206, Piercy, CA 95587. Every little bit helps. Who knows someday the life they save may be your own.
They are a great VFD and I hope many people donate to help them keep doing the great work they do. We’re lucky they are here!
They respond to some of the worst accidents in that stretch. And they bring there A game to every call
Great PSA! I have to focus on my STAR and Van Duzen/Post Mountain VFD, but we all need to do our part to keep these services going.
Thank you Piercy Fire Department.
Thank you Kyme.
Wonderful news!
Blessings go to the girls and all who helped locate them. Also so grateful they were taught to huddle together and stay put. They knew to drink water from leaves great nature training and so happy they were found.
They are Humboldt girls for sure. Taught what to do and followed the plan. Once in a while we get a happy ending and I am glad this is one of them. It would be great to hear there story even if given by a parent
You are unduly modest, Ms. Kemp. This story went international. I read a version of it in the London Daily Mail.
Bravo on your journalistic coup!
Realizing now that I have not taken a breath since this started….giving thanks and praise.I am filled with joy at this outcome.One love to all concerned!
Kym your story made the international wire. Good job