Jan. 15--REYNOLDS COUNTY, Mo. -- David Decareaux left with two of his boys shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday from a cabin on the Ozark Trail, promising to return from a long hike by 4 p.m.
It was a celebratory weekend; David had surprised his wife, Sarah, for their anniversary by taking the family -- with all five children -- on a camping trip. He was an Air Force veteran and no stranger to long hikes.
But on this day, Sarah said, he didn't anticipate that the weather would turn ugly. A day that began with temperatures around 60 degrees turned into a bitterly cold evening with heavy rain. David had a cellphone and a flashlight, but both lost power at some point, she said.
By Sunday morning, when David was found dead on the trail and her two boys were rushed to a hospital -- only to die themselves a couple of hours later -- Sarah turned to prayer for strength.
"God is everything I've got right now," she said on Monday.
And that faith is helping her forge ahead.
"We are a Christian family," she said. "I know where they are now."
Decareaux, 36, and his family had moved to Millstadt just a few months ago from Germany, where he had worked for the Department of Defense. He had the weekend off from his new job with the department at Scott Air Force Base, and he surprised his wife with a cabin he rented in Reynolds County.
"That was just something they would do," said his father-in-law, Keith Hartrum, of Waterloo. "They are very adventurous."
David and the boys were found Sunday morning on the bluffs near Black, Mo., with their Labrador retriever, Bear, who survived. David was pronounced dead at the scene. The boys -- Dominic, 10, and Grant, 8 -- were carried out of the woods and died about 2 p.m. Sunday at a hospital in Ellington, Mo.
"They took my babies and worked on them for more than two hours," Sarah Decareaux said Monday, describing the efforts of hospital employees.
Officials believe David Decareaux and the boys traveled on a hiking trail from Brushy Creek Lodge south for about 8 miles, reaching Sutton's Bluff by about 2 p.m. By then, rain was falling, and a passer-by offered the family a ride, but David told the man they could make it back, according to the Reynolds County sheriff's office. By evening, temperatures had dropped into the 20s.
David Decareaux had a light jacket, one son wore a fleece pullover and the other a sweater, officials said.
The trio eventually hiked the 8 miles back north, but apparently missed the turn that led to the lodge, said Reynolds County Sheriff Thomas Volner. They would have been just 20 minutes from their cabin had they made the turn. Instead, they were found Sunday morning about a mile north of the turn.
'YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING'
The trail is a 2-foot-wide, hilly path, covered with a carpet of leaves. There are reflective markers on trees for direction, but they aren't visible in the dark.
"It's well-marked and well-maintained," said Matt Atnip, executive director of the Ozark Trails Association, a volunteer organization that maintains the trail. But "when it's dark out there, it's dark. You can't see anything."
On Monday, Sarah Decareaux made a point to say how appreciative she was for the 50 or so people who scoured woods and roads in search of her family. Some firefighters and paramedics even prayed with her, she said.
The search had begun shortly after 6 p.m., when Sarah alerted authorities about her missing husband and boys. It was suspended about 12:30 a.m. Sunday because of fast-rising creeks and flash flooding, before resuming several hours later.
10-YEAR AIR FORCE VETERAN
David Decareaux, who was born in Louisiana, served as an information technology specialist with the Air Force for 10 years, then held several civilian and contractor positions with the Department of Defense. In July 2012, he joined the Defense Information Systems Agency NetOps Center at Scott Air Force Base, which provides computer security and support for the government, according to the Air Force.
"Dave was a very important member of our team, and we are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of him and his sons," Army Col. John McLaughlin, commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency, said in a written statement. "Our hearts go out to his wife and surviving children, and we will be by the Decareaux family's side as we mourn the loss."
The family's three other children are 11, 4 and 2.
Friends and family members described David as an attentive father. Dominic and Grant were active with their father in Cub Scouts. A few years ago, David founded a Cub Scout pack at Robinson Barracks, an Army installation in Stuttgart, Germany.
Bryan Beisner, the assistant Cubmaster of the pack in Stuttgart, said David had led Scouts on camping trips and in hiking, archery and other outdoor activities.
"He wanted to be able to share with children his experiences, and just to enjoy life," Beisner said.
Dominic and Grant were playful, well-mannered boys, he said.
"Every time you came around them, they were energetic and always wanted to play," Beisner said. "They'd always make you smile, no matter what was going on."
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Quernheim Funeral Home, 800 South Market Street in Waterloo. Visitation will also be held from 8 a.m. until the start of the funeral service at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Memorial contributions are preferred to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or to the donor's choice.
Valerie Schremp Hahn of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
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