OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:35 PM PT — Sunday, February 23, 2020
The search for a missing elderly couple just outside San Francisco came to an end on Saturday after a volunteer rescue group discovered the missing pair lost in a forest. Marin County Search and Rescue volunteers found 77-year-old Carol Kiparsky and 72-year-old Ian Irwin 30 miles north of the city in the Inverness forest.
“They were alive and well,” stated Marin County Officer Brenton Schneider. “They were able to speak with our search and rescue members who showed up at the scene.”
The couple was reportedly discovered in a wooded drainage ditch, which was surrounded by thick vegetation. The foliage was so dense that the rescue team had to crawl and break through their surroundings to get to the couple.
Volunteer Quincy Webster said he heard screams for help and proceeded to call for backup.
“We rushed over to them, got on the radio, and requested more resources,” said Webster. “Ultimately, the sheriff rescue helicopter extricated them, along with our team.”
A big shout out to @sonomasheriff for the amazingly quick response, professionalism, and their ability to get Carol and Ian to the medics the fastest way possible. pic.twitter.com/jr7RwuiPII
— Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) February 22, 2020
The Palo Alto couple was reportedly found in good spirits surviving off a puddle of water. They didn’t how they got lost.
“The reason they’re most likely alive is because they were drinking from a puddle that they found near where they were located,” explained Officer Schneider. “They left for a hike on Valentines, got lost in the dark, and they don’t know what happened after that.”
The couple was immediately airlifted to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment for dehydration and hypothermia. The couple is expected to recover.
Update from Carol Kiparsky and Ian Irwin. They are in great spirits and want to thank every single person who has kept them in their thoughts.
On behalf of the Irwin and Kiparsky family, Thank You. pic.twitter.com/t3OS6rgas7
— Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) February 23, 2020
Kiparsky and Irwin, who are avid hikers, reportedly “thanked God” upon their rescue, saying they “thought it was the end.”
“Carol and Ian are in amazing spirits and have expressed their gratitude to everyone for the well wishes during their recovery,” their family wrote in a statement. “They will be forever grateful for the hard work and dedication put forth by all of the search and rescue volunteers from all over the Bay Area, who searched every day for them.”