He told the paramedics that his mom and sister were lost.”

Lisa Eastham

ELY – With the help of an anonymous “good Samaritan” and the local emergency response team here, a cold, wet little boy avoided serious trouble last week after becoming lost while stretching the limits of exploring the woods along the Trezona Trail.
Lisa Eastham gave a shout out to all those who helped reunite her son, Elliot, almost 8, with the rest of the family. She related the adventure on a Facebook post.
Along with daughter, Annika, Lisa and Elliot were participating in an Earth Day event for the Washington Elementary School Student Council last Wednesday. They were part of a group of participants who carried water as they simulated the walk that many people in the world have to complete each day just to get fresh water.
“Annika picked up a large bag of trash while walking with me, and Elliot wanted to ride ahead on his bike,” Lisa said. “Elliot usually stops and waits for us along the trail but (this time) he blazed ahead of us. He just went for an explore and apparently ended up in knee-high water after breaking through some ice and got lost trying to return to the trail.”
When Lisa and Annika returned to the trailhead, Elliot was nowhere to be seen. “I started to worry and reached out to some friends as we started to look for him,” she said.
Luckily for Elliot, a kind-hearted “good Samaritan,” saw him, stopped to help, and according to Lisa, gave Elliot his coat and shoes to wear, then contacted Ely police and walked him out to the U.S. Forest Service building.
There Elliot was met by an overwhelming Ely response team. “By this I mean, the Ely Fire Department, Ely Police, Department of Natural Resources, the Forest Service, and Ely Paramedics,” she said. “Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped us. You work hard, some of you volunteer your time and you made our day.”
She added, “It’s funny because he told the paramedics that his mom and sister were lost. He said he knew exactly where he was, just not with us.”
Paramedics warmed up the boy and within minutes he was reunited with his family. “Elliot learned many safety lessons in this adventure, and most importantly he experienced the kindness of others and how to help others in need,” his mother said. Elliot made special “thank you” notes for all those who helped him.
The family still has no idea who the “good Samaritan” was. “We’re still unsure who it was who stopped to help him but our hearts are so incredibly grateful. We love Ely and are so humbled by its Emergency Response teams. God bless you for helping him,” she said.