The Weirichs were told that their son and his friends were climbing in a steep, heavily wooded area and exploring several caves when one person noticed that one of his shoes, which was probably tied to a backpack, was missing, Aleman said. Weirich volunteered to retrieve it and headed down the trail, shouting back and forth with his three companions, she said.

"They could see him and hear him. He climbed a tree and said 'take my picture.' " said Aleman. "They heard him for about three to five minutes as he was finding his way down the trail. When they heard nothing is when they started calling for him and going out and searching."

She did not know how long the three looked for Weirich before contacting authorities. None of the three said they could identify where Weirich left the trail either by falling or climbing.

Weirich is one of nine children. He spent two years at Brigham Young University before leaving on a mission, Aleman said. As a member of the BYU track team, Weirich placed third in the decathlon at the Mountain West Conference meet. He finished second at the Junior National Track and Field meet in 2002, was a Junior All American and member of the USA Junior World team, according to information from the BYU athletic department Web site.

Weirich's parents are expected to go to Australia to see their son, Aleman said.

"They are ecstatic," she added.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche

E-mail: jdobner@desnews.com