Digital Forensics Dispatch

Call Detail Records Rescue Lost California Hiker

May 7, 2020

A walk in the wooded area of Tuolumne County, California proved almost fatal for one hiker looking forward to a day trip hike, as reported by Digital Journal.

The hiker completed a nearly 6-hour walk, and then realized she had lost her way. With night falling quickly and realizing that her cell phone was close to dying, the hiker placed a phone call to a family member informing them of her situation. Shortly after the call was placed, her phone battery was depleted, and the device powered off. Once family members contacted the police, a “ping” attempt was performed. However, due to the fact the device was powered off, the ping attempts were unsuccessful.

The initial search was called off due to weather conditions and difficult terrain. The following day, an investigator was hired to examine and map the cell phone records. The call detail records combined with the device’s last location allowed for several “geo-locations” to be determined. These locations displayed areas where the hiker was most likely to be found.

Once first light arrived, rescue teams were dispatched to the specified geo-locations and found the stranded hiker alive.

With the call detail records, which proved vital in the hiker’s discovery, disaster was prevented. This outcome proves how cell phone records can greatly assist in locating missing persons.

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