Some hams with sharp ears helped police in Idaho find two young boys who had gone missing while (fortunately) playing with a pair of Family Radio Service (FRS) handhelds. Also fortunate was that the Post Falls, Idaho, police officer put in charge of the search was a ham, Detective Neil Uhrig, K7NJU.
While trying to set up his amateur handheld to monitor FRS Channel 1, which the two boys were thought to be using, Uhrig came across the NorthWest Traffic Net, sponsored by the Kootenai Amateur Radio Society, on a local repeater. The ARRL Letter reports that Uhrig explained the situation to the net control station and asked anyone in the Post Falls area with FRS capability to listen for the kids, ages 9 and 11.
The Letter then reports that abou a half hour later, Jim Hager, KJ7OTD, heard children talking on Channel 1 and reported it to Uhrig. Uhrig came to Hager's house, heard the kids for himself and organized searchers in that vicinity, which was a considerable distance away from the area initially being searched. The children were soon found, safe and sound, thanks to Hager and the Northwest Traffic Net.
