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Thread: Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail in

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    Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail in

    Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail in Missouri


    • Article by: JIM SUHR and JIM SALTER , Associated Press
    • Updated: January 14, 2013 - 12:16 PM



    ST. LOUIS - An Air Force veteran known as an experienced hiker died along with two of his young sons after apparently getting lost on a desolate Missouri trail in heavy rain and rapidly plunging temperatures, a sheriff and a family member said Monday.

    Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner said David Decareaux, 36, of Millstadt, Ill., and his 8- and 10-year-old sons were found Sunday, a day after they ventured out with their 4-month-old yellow Labrador retriever on the Ozark Trail, about 110 miles southwest of St. Louis.

    Decareaux died at the scene, and the boys were declared dead at a hospital after hours of efforts to revive them failed, the sheriff said. Volner said authorities believe the three died of exposure to the elements, though autopsies were planned.

    The dog was found near the victims and survived.

    Volner says Decareaux knew the popular trail, which runs through a sparsely populated area of southeast Missouri, but apparently took a wrong turn and was ill-equipped for temperatures that sank from 60 degrees to the 20s as the day progressed. Heavy rain also began to fall, making the trail all but impassable.

    Decareaux had been wearing only a light jacket, while one of his sons was clad in a fleece pullover, and the other a sweater.

    Volner said there are no caves or other places of refuge along the trail.

    A passer-by spotted the hikers more than three hours into their journey and asked if they needed a ride back to the Brushy Creek Lodge near Black, where Decareaux's wife and their three other children — ages 12, 4 and 2 — were staying. But Decareaux declined, telling the man they could make it back, the sheriff said.

    "They just missed their turn back to the lodge," the sheriff said. "By that time, their light played out. You don't have any ambient light down here because there are no cities or towns. When it's dark you can't see the back of your hand."

    Officials at the lodge called the sheriff's department about 7 p.m. Saturday, concerned that the hikers had not returned. A search involving more than 50 volunteers on foot, horseback and in vehicles lasted until about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, when flash-flooding in creeks forced searchers to back off until daylight.

    The bodies of Decareaux and the boys were found soaking wet Sunday morning, their dog beside them.

    The tragedy crushed Decareaux's father-in-law, who described the family as tightly knit, "always on the go and adventurous." Decareaux was a doting father and spiritual man who had retired from the Air Force in recent years and was working with the Defense Department in a job he couldn't discuss, even privately, Keith Hartrum said.

    Decareaux and his wife, Sarah, were married about 14 years ago after a chance meeting that was "love at first sight," Hartrum told The Associated Press. They made the most of his overseas assignments, using them to explore Europe over the past decade, he said.

    "They had a strong, good, healthy marriage," he said, noting the Decareaux was an experienced hiker "who just got caught up (last weekend) in a freak situation" that proved fatal.

    "Dave was a great guy, a good father, son-in-law and husband," Hartrum said. "Those two boys were just precious — smart, very nice kids."


    http://www.startribune.com/nation/186799991.html
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    Re: Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail

    The tragedy crushed Decareaux's father-in-law, who described the family as tightly knit, "always on the go and adventurous." Decareaux was a doting father and spiritual man who had retired from the Air Force in recent years and was working with the Defense Department in a job he couldn't discuss, even privately, Keith Hartrum said.
    This is an interesting tidbit, maybe there is more to this story?

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    Re: Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail

    This too:
    An Air Force veteran known as an experienced hiker
    No cell phone (or signal maybe?), no matches, lighter, et al?
    But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint - Isaiah 40:31

    Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ~
    Matthew 7:7


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    Re: Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail

    Quote Originally Posted by MNeagle View Post
    This too:

    No cell phone (or signal maybe?), no matches, lighter, et al?
    Yeah, for an experienced hiker to take his two sons with him, one wearing only a sweater (!), and not having any means of protection is really sad. Either he was not an experienced hiker, or there is something more to the story. But for a wife to lose her husband and her two sons is heartbreaking.
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    Re: Illinois man, 2 sons die in cold, rain after becoming lost on Ozarks hiking trail

    No trees? Couldn't make a fire? Couldn't pull branches to make a lean-too shelter next to an embankment to shed rain? Kill a cow, disembowel it and crawl into the cavity for warmth?
    Make me one with everything.
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