Students stranded at science camps in San Bernardino mountains over weekend escorted back home

A group of 600 middle school students were stranded in the San Bernardino mountains over the weekend when one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the Southland snowed them in. 

Originally supposed to return home on Friday, the children with a number of Orange County schools were unable to do so as multiple feet of snow covered the mountain roads, trapping the students and staff members at a number of camps in the area, including the Pali Institute in Running Springs, until Monday. 

Students at Turtle Rock, Stone Creek, Cadence Park and Oak Creek were finally reunited with their parents on Monday, after being escorted through the snow-covered mountain roads by California Highway Patrol officials. Each bus was outfitted with chains to ensure safe travels. 

Alli West, whose 12-year-old son Fletcher was one of the many stuck at the outdoor camp, said that there were talks of bussing the children home as early as Thursday morning, but instead camp officials decided to hunker down and keep the children safe indoors rather than face the treacherous travel.

West hopes that through it all, her son was a source of support as their family has been displaced multiple times in his young life — by a fire and a flood. 

"I believe he's being able to be a good support to a lot of kids there," she said. "He has been through a lot."

She said that even though they were stuck for a few days, the kids probably made some unforgettable memories. 

"If kids would have left early ... they would've gotten out, but they would've missed out on some memories that you don't get unless you're stuck in six feet of snow and you can't get out," she said. 

While trapped, the kids were kept busy with all kinds of activities that included an indoor soccer tournament and a dance party. Even with the fun he's had, she couldn't wait to see him again. 

"I cannot wait for him to come home because he's going to have so many stories, and even if half of it was not great, I'm so excited about the growth," West said.

As the students were transported back to their schools, Irvine Unified School District, which oversees all of the affected schools, issued a statement to parents which read:

"We understand that this fluid situation may have caused concern and frustration for our students, staff and families. We would like to thank them for their patience and understanding as we continue to work diligently with the CHP, school and camp staff, our transportation team and other agencies on their safe return.  IUSD's top priority is the safety of our students and staff.  We continue to do everything in our power to ensure that our students are reunited with their families as safely and as soon as possible."