Rockland Residents Help Save Missing Child

Chaverim of Rockland County and Hatzolah Air, based at Sullivan County International Airport, worked together last week to locate an eight-year-old Jewish boy who went missing in the Coconino National Forest just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Tzion Maron went missing on Wednesday at 6 p.m. as he and his family made their way out of Lava Cave, a popular subterranean trail in the park.

Eli Rowe, president of Hatzolah Air, based at Sullivan County International Airport, said it was his agency’s aircraft that spotted the child.

“We flew a search and rescue team and they set up heat seeking drones and put a team of search and rescue experts into the Flagstaff, Arizona forest, we able to able to find this child alive and brought him out to his mother,” he said. The child was cold, scared, alone and frightened, but okay, Rowe told a reporter from Mid-Hudson News.

“We feel like we saved a life,” said Chaverim’s coordinator Josef Margaretten. “It is like we brought back a child for the parents. We train weekly for incidents such as this and have groups with a lot of experience. We just follow certain protocols and, sure enough, we found him with the help of some volunteers.”

Maron’s family now lives in Baltimore, but previously resided in Monsey. With the search underway for young Tzion, his mother called Chaverim, an emergency services organization comprised of volunteers, for assistance.

Chaverim contacted Hatzolah Air, which provided the 14-member team that left Swan Lake at about 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

The Chaverim team arrived to Arizona at 7 a.m., began canvassing the woods two hours later, and found Maron at 11 a.m. just outside the first-priority search zone established by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department. Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco informed his counterparts in Arizona that Chaverim was on its way and advised them of their capabilities.

Maron was in stable condition when he was located and is doing well.

“It was the best feeling to find him,” said Sam Reich, a Chaverim search and rescue team member. “Tears were coming down my eyes and I get emotional talking about it.”