Spokane7
50°
April 26, 2010 in City, Idaho
Grandparents, grandchildren return safely to CdA
This morning family dug out vehicle stuck in snow
From left are 13-year-old Colton Morgan, 10-year-old Hunter Morgan and 5-year-old Gage Morgan. The blond hair, blue eye boys did not return as expected Sunday from a day trip with their grandparents, Connie and Neil Bigelow.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
A Deer Park couple and their three grandchildren who went missing Sunday returned to the children’s Coeur d’Alene home this morning after freeing their vehicle that had been stuck in snow.
Neil and Connie Bigelow went to Jeffrey and Kelly Morgan’s Coeur d’Alene home Sunday afternoon and picked up the three children with a plan to go to the lake shore to skip rocks, according to Coeur d’Alene police.
When the children and the Bigelows failed to return, the parents to notified police early this morning, said Sgt. Christie Wood.
The grandparents and children – Colton Morgan, 13, Hunter Morgan, 10, and Gage Morgan, 5 – returned about 8 a.m.
The Bigelows told police that they drove up Hayden Creek and their vehicle became high-centered in snow near the top of road 206.
They decided to wait out the night in the pickup. Connie Bigelow sang songs and helped the children draw pictures. At daybreak, they were able to dig out of the snow and return, police said.
Detectives said the children were in good condition.
Police Chief Wayne Longo said that motorists should be careful of harsh mountain conditions this time of year, including heavy snow and mud on forest roads.
It’s a good idea to carry emergency supplies when traveling into the forest, Longo said in a press release. That would include food, water, flashlight, matches, maps, cell phone and extra clothing or blankets.
The Kootenai County sheriff’s department assisted in the search.
Couple acquitted of caging 2 boys 
misjustice on April 26 at 9:02 a.m.
I hope that the grandparents and children are found, safe and alive. This must be heart wrenching for the parents of the children…no doubt they are worried about their kids as well as their parents well being…
misjustice on April 26 at 2:36 p.m.
Thank goodness, this story ended well.
Let it stand as a reminder that mountain conditions can differ widely from those in the valleys, especially at this time of year; and those venturing into mountain regions need to be prepared for extreme conditions.
Another_Perspective on April 26 at 5:26 p.m.
misjustice was on the search and rescue team.. googling “snow on roads”. I guess that now makes him an expert on mountain conditions.
So whats so hard about a cell phone now days? Every vehicle should have a small survival kit as suggested in the article.
Any bets that pickup wasn’t a four wheel drive and there was no weight in the bed?