McGRADY, N.C.-- A North Carolina volunteer firefighter hit pay dirt Tuesday morning when he played a hunch and strayed from the path in a rugged mountainous area here.
"I got a glimpse of something red," said Danny Gambill, adding that he was certain that he had spotted Michael Auberry, the missing Boy Scout. "He was coming down the side of a cliff, holding onto trees..."
Several hundred people have been searching for the boy since he wandered away from his Scout troop Saturday afternoon. Parts of his mess kit were found over the weekend. Temperatures dipped into the 20s at night, but his family said he was dressed appropriately.
The area features cliffs and dangerous, rugged terrain.
Gambill called to the two women in his search party that he'd found the boy, and he was OK. "I waded across the creek to get to him. I told him we had been looking for him. I asked him if he was lost..."
The volunteer firefighter from Traphill said he decided to take a closer look in the remote area after noticing the reaction of the search dog in their group. "He was raising his nose, looking to the left. Then, he kept on going. I decided to go look..."
Gambill said the boy told him he was cold and hungry. "He didn't say a whole lot. He was weak and a little disoriented."
While news of their find was relayed to officials, Gambill gave Michael a bottle of Gatorade and a granola bar. "He wanted to know if he was going to get a helicopter ride. He said he'd seen them in the area."
Gambill said the boy was wet because he had crossed the creek. "I got some dry socks on him. He was in excellent condition considering the cold overnight temperatures here the past few nights."
McGrady Fire Chief Mike Lane said he felt relieved when he got the call about the boy being found alive and well.
Lane, also chief of Wilkes County Rescue, drove the ambulance that took Michael to a local hospital. "He was tired and wet. But, I know he was happy to be out of there..."
Gambill said he's happy the boy is safe, and back with his family. While the past few days in the wilderness have been grueling, he now faces another challenge - the media. "I didn't do anything, really. I didn't think I'd get any publicity. I joined the fire department because I like helping people."
Gambill turned down a request from The Today Show to travel to New York to tell his story. "They asked if I would talk if they sent someone down here. I told them I would..."
Traphill Deputy Chief Greg Gant said five or six volunteers from his station have been rotating in and out of the search area since Saturday. That way, the area was not left without fire coverage.
Lane said local departments have been involved in searches before, but nothing of this magnitude. He said the unified command worked well as there were many agencies were participating.
"Local employers have worked well with us too. Many people have missed work. But, when something like this happens, we come together."
