Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

A hunt for that perfect Christmas tree turned into a three-day ordeal for the Dominguez family of Northern California . This story however, has a happy ending, perfect for this time of the year!

It all started when Frederick Dominguez and his three kids, Christopher 18, Joshua 15 and Alexis 12, drove to the mountains about 100 miles north of Sacramento, California on Sunday afternoon, to look for a Christmas tree.

Dressed in jeans, light jackets, and sneakers, the kids skipped from tree to tree trying to find the perfect one. They finally found one they liked, chopped it and started to head back to the car, only to find they had lost their way. After wandering for a few hours, exhausted and wet, they decided to take shelter inside a large drainage pipe. They covered the outside with twigs and tree branches. The younger children sat inside while Frederick and his eldest son Christopher, stayed in the front, shielding them from the wind.

Meanwhile, the weather turned, and a blizzard hit the area. Though hundreds of people were looking for them, heavy snow, fierce winds, and the rough terrain made it difficult. The Dominguez family sat huddled in their shelter for three nights. While they found some water, food was something they could only fantasize (dream) about. Additionally, their sneakers and socks were so wet, they had to remove them. To stop their feet from getting frost-bitten, they tucked them inside each other's jackets. At one point Alexis's feet got so cold that Christopher ripped his t-shirt and tied it around her feet.

By Wednesday, just as things were starting to look pretty bleak, a search helicopter spotted the word "Help" written in the snow. They swooped down and caught sight of Frederick dashing out of his shelter and waving frantically.

The family was quickly whisked away to a hospital and treated before being sent home. Miraculously, all of them survived this ordeal really well. As for the Christmas tree, Frederick thinks he may go for a plastic one next year.

Sources:edition.cnn.com,cbs5.com