Lost Family Focuses on God to Overcome Snowstorm
The father and three children who were stranded in the snowy California woods this past week relied on their faith and credited God for their survival despite freezing temperatures.
Frederick Dominguez and his children – Christopher, 18; Lexi, 14; and Joshua, 12 – were lost in the snowy woods for three days beginning Sunday after searching for a Christmas tree in the foothills of a region about 100 miles north of Sacramento.
The family slept inside a log, removed their wet socks and rubbed each others feet to keep warm. At times they slept with their feet inside each other's shirts to avoid frostbite.
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"You just want your kids to be safe and you're just praying, 'God, keep my kids alive,'" Dominguez told reporters at Feather River Hospital in Paradise, Calif., after their rescue on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
The family had embarked on a Christmas tree hunt after attending church on Sunday. As they searched for the tree, they lost their trail and then darkness and snow began to fall.
The first storm on Monday dumped eight inches of snow, according to The Associated Press. By Wednesday, the storm had poured more than a foot of snow in the mountains.
During those "awful" three days, the family said they relied on humor and sang church songs to lift their spirits, according to AP.
On the third day, rescue helicopter pilots spotted their "Help" sign made from twigs on a nearby road. Alexis was the first to hear the chopper and her father ran out of the culvert barefooted to wave down the plane.
"When they turned around, man, I was just praising God and saying, 'Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,' because I knew we had made it," the father said, according to CNN.
Following their rescue on Wednesday, they were ferried to Feather River Hospital in Paradise for check-ups. Alexis had some minor frostbite and was readmitted shortly on Thursday.
"I'm glad I'm home. Praise God," Dominguez told reporters after exiting a helicopter at the search command center, according to CNN. "It was awful."
When asked how he survived, he replied, "Jesus Christ."
Mayor Alan White of Paradise, whose son played soccer on the same team as Joshua last year, said the area where the family went to cut a Christmas tree is a popular place among locals. White said he and many others in the area also go there to cut Christmas trees. He noted that when the winter weather turns bad, it is easy to get lost in the woods.
