A level of preparedness, a 2-year old’s talent for finding leftover Halloween candy and the knowledge an entire community was scrambling to find them got Montesano’s Jason and Melissa McAlister and their two young daughters through two nights stuck in the woods north of Matlock.

What started as a midday drive through familiar territory north of their Old Wynoochee Road residence went awry when they came upon a large tree blocking the logging road on which they were traveling, according to Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate. Attempting to drive around it, the couple’s van became stuck and the foursome found themselves stranded.

Fortunately, as Jason later told the Mason and Grays Harbor county deputies and medical responders, there was plenty of gas in the vehicle, they had water and warm enough clothing, and his 2-year old daughter was able to scrounge enough leftover Halloween candy from the cab of the car to sustain them. They spent Tuesday night in the van with their spirits bolstered by news reports detailing the community’s concern and the large search effort that was under way by multiple agencies.

The following morning the family made an attempt to walk to civilization. Unfortunately, they became turned around and made the decision to return to their vehicle for a second night. The next morning had the family making another go at finding help, which found them in the form of a hunter — it was the first day of late buck season. Because of the media coverage detailing the McAlister’s disappearance, the hunter knew he had found the missing family, said Shumate, and he called 911 and took them into Matlock in Mason County, about a half-hour drive from where they were found.

Medical personnel checked the McAlisters at the Matlock Store and quickly determined the four were all in good health. After Jason stopped to speak to the television crews that had gathered outside the store, Grays Harbor County deputies took the family to be reunited with concerned friends and family and their two older children, ages 5 and 7, while the hunter, Fish & Wildlife agents and at least one news helicopter attempted to find and retrieve the family van.

“We want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies, as well as the many other organizations and citizens who helped with this search,” said Shumate. “We also want to thank the media for getting the information out regarding the missing family. The hunter was already aware of the missing family due to the media coverage and knew exactly who the McAlisters were when he saw them.”

The McAlisters were first reported missing Tuesday afternoon by a caller who lived at the same Old Wynoochee Road property. After noticing their vehicle was gone and the house had been left in a way indicating the family would be back shortly, he received a call from the Montesano school district that the couple’s two older children had been returned to the bus barn because their parents were not there to pick them up at the bus stop. That’s when the resident called 911 and reported the McAlisters missing.

Ground searches went on through the night Tuesday and right through Wednesday and into Thursday morning. The search was difficult as no specific location was available; all searchers had to go on were tips from friends and family stating the McAlisters enjoyed driving the woods between Humptulips and the steel bridge in Mason County, and later how they often made Spider Lakes in the eastern part of the upper Wynoochee Valley a destination. Air support had been called in and was in the process of getting airborne when the family was found.