SAR News: NorCal Family Missing In Mountains Found Alive

Rescuers say a father and his three children who have been missing in the mountains for three days have been found alive.

The California father says he was terrified that he and his three children wouldn't make it out alive. But Frederick Dominguez says he remained strong for his kids as he turned to his faith.

Dominguez and the children vanished on a Christmas tree-cutting trip in the Northern California mountains. They were found Wednesday after huddling in a culvert for warmth during three days of heavy snow.

Hours later, after he had been examined at a hospital, Dominguez described three harrowing nights in the wild as he tried to keep his children from panicking and succumbing to the numbing cold.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter crew spotted Frederick Dominguez atop a small bridge and landed nearby, sinking into 2 feet of snow, flight officer David White said.

The family had taken shelter in a culvert beneath the bridge and stomped "help" in the snow, White said.White said it was the last opportunity for the helicopter, with snow falling heavily as it descended.