<\/p>\n
Even though it was raining Tuesday, Oct. 29, an extra night camping on the shore of McPhee wasn\u2019t enough for a 7-year-old boy from Durango. After being rescued by United Search and Rescue of Montezuma County, he asked if they could spend another night at McPhee.<\/p>\n
A boat camping trip Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday night turned into a third night for a father and his two sons when they ran out of gas. An electric trolling motor wasn\u2019t enough to get back to the boat launch when the battery also died.<\/p>\n
The three pulled into shore and camped, waiting for another boat to come by or possibly a shift in wind to try and make it to safety with a makeshift sail. Being late in the season and not very good weather, no other boats were out on the lake.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a good time. We ate some fish, drank some coffee and some hot chocolate,\u201d said the embarrassed father who refused to give his name. \u201cWe still had food for another day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were fighting the wind trying to get back and burned up all the gas. Out of gas and out of battery,\u201d said the father.<\/p>\n
After being 16 hours late to return from their trip, the mother called the sheriff to start a search.<\/p>\n
Because he was friends with members of the Durango Search and Rescue, the father had asked his wife to give him a two-day leeway when he went camping before calling out the search party. Perhaps with a 3- and 7-year-old, the mother didn\u2019t want to wait that long.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue had just winterized their boat, thinking the season was over, but turned out they had one more chance to use it.<\/p>\n