A 5-year-old boy was found dead on an Alaska hiking trail days after his mother left him to seek help after the two became disoriented and lost, state troopers said.
The two had embarked on a hike along the five-mile Lunch Creek Trail and got lost on Wednesday, March 25. Mother and son had to spend the night in the wild together.
Treat had set out alone seeking help on Thursday when Jaxson became too hungry and tired and did not want to hike any further. The air was chilly, and foggy with temperatures diving into the deep forties at night.
The trail was muddy and slippery and partly made up of boardwalks, with natural tread sections. In some places, snow was waist-deep, Jerry Kiffer, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad incident commander, said.
Troopers received a phone call to help a woman and a boy. Police found Treat’s car at the trailhead parking lot, and a rescue team of some 20 troopers and volunteers assisted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter started an extensive search for the two, which led to finding Treat on Friday. Treat was transported by helicopter for treatment.
On Friday, searchers found a shoe that belonged to Jaxson, but it wasn’t till Saturday around 2:45 p.m. that Jaxson was found, but, by then, it was too late; Jaxson had already died.
“An autopsy will be conducted to determine the manner and cause of death. At this time, while it is very tragic, it doesn’t appear to be suspicious in nature,” troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said, the outlet reported.
