Father And Sons Die Hiking: David Decareaux, Two Sons Found Dead On Ozark Trail From Harsh Weather, Family Dog Survives [Photo]

A father and his two sons died while hiking over the weekend in southeast Missouri after getting lost on a hiking trail. According to KMBC News, David Decareaux, 36, and his 8- and 10-year-old sons were found dead Sunday, on the Ozark Trail after taking their family dog, a 4-month-old yellow Labrador retriever along 110 miles southwest of St. Louis.

The father, Decareaux has experience in hiking, but had taken a wrong turn and got lost on the trail ill-equipped. As the tempratures dropped from 60 to 20 degrees, the lack of light made it hard for Decareaux to return to the lodge, "They just missed their turn back to the lodge," Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner said. "By that time, their light played out. You don't have any ambient light down here because there are no cities or towns. When it's dark you can't see the back of your hand."

Volner along with several agencies began to search on Saturday, however bad weather had stopped the search, which resumed the next morning. The bodies of the family was found along with their surviving dog, drenched in rainwater around 9 am Sunday morning.

Decareaux was pronounced dead at the scene and the two boys were pronounced dead at the hospital after four hours of CPR. Decareaux's wife, Sarah (who now has to raise three other children ages, 11, 4 and 2) thanked all the searchers and added, "We are a Christian family," Sarah said. "I know where they are now."

The Decareaux family has three other children, ages 11, 4 and 2.