A former Sacramento couple whose vehicle got stuck in the snow on a Christmas tree hunt high in the mountains near the Oregon-California border have returned after going missing for two days, authorities said.
The Jackson County sheriff's office said Jennifer and Keith Lee of Medford, Ore., were able to free their all-wheel drive Subaru by placing rocks under the wheels. They called deputies after they reached a small town near home.
Sheriff's Lt. Pat Rowland said the couple called as soon as they got a cell phone signal after hearing a massive search for them had begun.
Rowland said the couple had actually traveled across the border into California, away from the initial search area.
Deputies were interviewing the couple, who had been missing since Tuesday.
The couple and their four children moved to Oregon from Sacramento two years ago.
Several relatives who still live in the Sacramento area took part in the search.
The story brings to mind another Northern California family that was not so lucky after getting lost in Oregon in late 2006. James Kim, his wife Kati and their two daughters took a wrong turn and ended up stranded on a snowy logging road. After nearly a week, James Kim took off on foot looking for help. A helicopter spotted his family and their car several days later, which lead to their rescue. James Kim's body was later found 16 miles away. He was lying on his back in icy water.
KCRA.com contributed to this report.
