From this morning’s Mercury News, a story about a boy lost overnight at Uvas Canyon County Park. He was out on a hike Saturday with his family.

For 18 terrifying hours, her 15-year-old autistic son, who doesn’t speak, was lost in the wooded hills west of Morgan Hill.

Danny Barrett was found wet and cold, but safe, on Sunday morning – just after nearly 100 rescuers had restarted their search for the South San Jose boy.

About 4 p.m. Saturday, Danny had run ahead of his father, Chris Barrett, and twin brother, Jason, as the group finished a two-hour hike in Uvas Canyon County Park. It’s not unusual for Danny to bound ahead of everyone else, Pam Barrett said. It’s just the way he is.

He wasn’t more than 10 yards ahead, heading toward the car. And then there was a bend in the trail. And then he was gone.

“It was as quick as that,” Pam Barrett said.

Apparently he wandered down along the creek and kept wandering there till he was found the next morning.

Uvas is one of my favorite winter hiking haunts — easy, shady trails and cool waterfalls, especially after a good soaking rain. Hats off to all who got up at the crack of dawn Sunday and helped find the boy; Uvas isn’t especially wild, but the forest is really thick and the park is pretty remote; there could’ve been a less happy ending.