Fred Dominguez and his three children headed out to the pine forests of northern California to search for the perfect Christmas tree.
They ended up stuck in a snowstorm for three days, and survived only thanks to the rescue helicopter pilot who saw the word "help" spelled outin tree branches near the drain they were using as a shelter.
Their adventure turned rapidly into the feel-good story of the holiday season, as the media clamoured for access to the four as they recovered in hospital from mild frostbite.
But really it was a classic tale of what happens when a southern California man - raised on nothing but sunshine and blue skies - is reminded that the rest of the world actually endure something called weather.
Dominguez, 38, a pest-control worker, was raised in Los Angeles and had last seen snow when he was 12.
He moved to the small mountain town of Paradise just a few months ago to be closer to his children, who live with his ex-wife.
When he set out in his pick-up truck with Christopher, 18, Alexis, 15, and Joshua, 12, it was already close to nightfall and the skies looked threatening, but the four pressed on, wearing just light jackets, sweatshirts and gym shoes and carrying no food or equipment other than a battery-run saw.
They found their tree and cut it down relatively quickly but then became disoriented and couldn't find their way back down to the road.
They used tree branches to build a makeshift shelter, but after a sleepless night in winds and snow, the next day they sheltered in a water culvert.
The snowstorms were so bad that it was not until Wednesday that helicopter crews could do a proper search.
Pilots Steve Ward and David White were about to pack it in for the day when they spotted Dominguez waving.
"This was our last pass," Ward said. "We were very lucky that we saw this guy."
