It was 2004, and the men's Olympic gymnastics team — which included a man from Utah named Guard Young — had just won a silver medal in Greece. There had to be a connection, Guess thought. And so he wrote a letter to Olympian Guard Young's father, Orem doctor Wayne Young, requesting a meeting with Sondra.

When Sondra and Guess talked over the phone, she told him how much she wanted to meet Cooley. Guess thought the annual Fourth of July reunion at his uncle's cabin in Chester would be the perfect place. And so this week, Sondra traveled to Chester to meet and thank her rescuer.

Cooley and his wife, Euphemia, now in their late 80s, woke up early Saturday to make their way to meet Sondra. Cooley had been lifting weights and exercising for weeks to be strong enough to make the trip. He even debated what shirt to wear.

On Saturday morning, Sondra arrived at Jeff Cooley's family cabin on the shores of Lake Almanor. Cooley stood below the deck in front of the glistening lake with a backdrop of velvety pines and striking blue sky. Sondra hesitantly approached her childhood hero and they hugged for a while without saying much.

"This is Jeff Cooley," Guess said.

"Yes, yes," Sondra replied from her embrace.

Then the years of questions and missing details came flowing between them and Cooley's eyes watered whenever he spoke of opening her father's trunk.

"Would you rather we didn't talk about this?" he stopped and asked Sondra at one point. But she had been waiting for this moment for so long, and she wanted to hear it all. There are still so many pieces missing from what she knows happened.

After hours of reminiscing, four California Highway Patrol officers walked into the family gathering place. Lt. Erik Liband dropped to one knee and shook Cooley's hand.

It was the first official recognition anyone ever gave Cooley for rescuing Sondra, according to his family, and the sight made many of them weep.

"It's just beautiful," Mike Guess, Cooley's nephew, said through tears.

Cooley's wife, Euphemia, was flabbergasted when Sondra presented her and her husband with handmade matching pillows and a hunting quilt as a token of her appreciation.

He still says he didn't do much that day.

"All I did was …" Cooley started to say.

"Save my life," Sondra finished his sentence. "Thank you. Thank you."

E-mail: achoate@desnews.com