That’s their favorite place to go play but once hour three, three and a half was kind of creeping up on us on the clock I was getting more dark thoughts,” their dad Justin Bourg said.
On November 28, sisters 4-year-old Cecile and 7-year-old Abigail were thinking of all kinds of trouble with their adventurous spirits. They decided, while playing in their yard on N. Willie Road near Folsom, to go off and play into the woods along with Artemis, their golden retriever. The three wandered off into the woods and got lost.
Their plan was to come back after playing, but they simply couldn't find their way back home. At home, their mom, Mary Bourg, was extremely worried. “I had the worst thoughts. I just didn’t let those thoughts stick around very long because I couldn’t handle that,” Mary told KHOU. Their father, however, was at first confident the girls will return after some adventuring, as the woods were usually where they played. “Originally, I was very confident we were going to find them in the woods. That’s their favorite place to go play but once hour three, three and a half was kind of creeping up on us on the clock I was getting more dark thoughts,” Justin Bourg said.
A couple of hours later, the parents really started to worry. These parents were left with little choice but to cling to their faith while numerous agencies searched for the girls using helicopters, drones, K-9s, and ATVs. As the day began to end, more worries crept in for the mom. The neighborhood police department posted a message on Facebook asking for individuals to contribute with more information.
Artemis ultimately came to the rescue. The girls were smart to stay put where they had cuddled up to Artemis after Abigail realized they were gone. Artemis continued to bark and helped find the girls, according to their father. Then Artemis sprang into action and guided the rescuers to the girls' location as they drew nearer. Mom and dad received the wonderful news quickly and were able to sigh with relief. “So much relief, so much weight lifted,” Mary said. “That’s the most I’ve cried in 20 years,” dad agreed.
The search authorities shared that Artemis was being so protective he wasn't letting even the search parties near the girls. It was only after they built trust that he allowed them near the girls. Dad calculates that the girls were between three and four hundred yards from their house. “[Searchers] mentioned something about a pond that they were kind of close to and there’s one behind us, so that’s kind of where I’m assuming they ended up,” Justin Bourg said.
“Abigail was laying on top of Artemis holding his collar and just snuggled up with him and CC (Cecilia) was laying with her head on Abigail’s stomach, and they were just kind of dug in for the night," Justin Bourg said.
Although the girls are pretty shaken up, the family is now taking some time to reflect and be together. The girls commented that there was a lot of "mud" and "trees" and that they weren't particularly impressed with their time in the woods. Mary wrote in a post, expressing her gratitude, "We CANNOT thank everyone enough for all the search forces, support, and prayers. We had an army physically and spiritually standing for our family. Our hearts are so so full of love and gratitude for the immediate support from our community and others areas too."
References:
https://www.facebook.com/mary.bourg91/posts/
Cover Image Source: Facebook | Mary C Bourg
