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Missing children found after 9 hours By Shari Downhill Two children were located by a Josephine County Search and Rescue canine team after they reportedly failed to return from an afternoon hike in Wilderville Thursday. Brian Harboldt, 13, of Grants Pass, and his cousin, Desiree Harboldt, 10, of Seattle, set off at about noon from a relative�s 175-acre Wilderville ranch to find a cow to feed, their mothers said. The two became disoriented and decided to stay put, a life-saving skill Brian had recently learned in a hunter safety class. Scarlett, the Search and Rescue canine credited with finding the two, located the children at about 9 p.m. Thursday huddled together under a tree near the trail they had been following, according to Josephine County sheriff reports. Scarlett was assisted by SAR team members Steve Wells and Joshua Babbs. "It was kind of scary being stuck out there with the coyotes howling," said Brian Harboldt, a North Middle School student. "We found a tree to crawl under to stay warm and we just talked ... and prayed a lot." A malamute dog belonging to relatives stayed with the children during the ordeal, said Brian�s mother, Cindy Harboldt. She said she and other family members grew concerned when Brian and Desiree did not return from their hike, and alerted the sheriff�s office at about 4 p.m. Search and Rescue officers were joined by family friends and off-duty law enforcement officers during the five-hour search. "We were afraid when it started getting dark and the fog started to drop down," Cindy Harboldt said. "We knew they weren�t dressed for that kind of weather." The lost children huddled together with their sweatshirts pulled over their legs and discussed who they would be apologizing to once they were found. After they were located, the two were examined at the SAR command center set up at the Wonder Store where they were determined to be scared, cold and ready to return home. "It was the worst day of my life," said Desiree�s mother, Kim Harboldt, from Seattle. "I was a state away and couldn�t do anything." Kim Harboldt said she was just about to take an emergency flight out of Seattle when she was notified by cellular phone her daughter and nephew had been located. "She�s a tough little girl," Kim Harboldt said of her daughter. "She said she got a little cold but that she was fine and I shouldn�t worry." Kim Harboldt, a retired Josephine County sheriff�s deputy, said she is grateful to her former peers for finding her daughter. "I want to thank the whole team," she said. "They all pulled together and did a wonderful job." Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.