
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office rescued two brothers over the weekend who had become stranded while traveling through the Mendocino National Forest.
The agency reported that its Public Safety Answering Point and dispatch center received an alert from Apple SOS Emergency at around 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, reporting that Alan CamposRodriguez and his brother, Ivan CamposRodriguez, were stranded in their vehicle in the Mendocino National Forest.
The brothers became stranded and lost when their Toyota Rav4 became stuck in a low water crossing on County Road 311 on Monday, Jan. 6, the agency reported.
Sgt. Jon Owens identified both Alan and Ivan CamposRodriguez were reported missing and activated the Glenn County Search and Rescue, or SAR, and California Highway Patrol Air Ops to conduct a search of the area.
Groundcrews with the SAR located the stranded vehicle and Alan CamposRodriguez, however, Alan and Ivan had become separated. CHP flew the area and was unable to locate Ivan via air, according to the sheriff’s report.
Search and Rescue initiated a search for Ivan on Saturday, Jan. 11, using a ground search
team and a drone team.
As the team searched the mountainous terrain, Ivan finally got to a spot with cellular reception and called the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Dispatchers obtained Ivan’s location and communicated it to the SAR team. SAR responded to the location and safely transported Ivan to Willows to be reunited with his brother Alan.
The brothers were traveling in a remote, mountainous area on non-maintained roads using Google maps.
“Recreating or driving in remote areas with lack of access to cellular phone reception and local services can be very dangerous. Residents are reminded to be aware of your surroundings, road conditions and the capability of your vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in its report on the rescue. “If you encounter non-maintained roads, it is safest to turn around and find an alternate route using a maintained roadway.”
