'Miracle' rescue: Couple who disappeared during vacation found alive after week-long search

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. -- The couple who disappeared during a hiking vacation in Northern California were found alive after a week-long search.

Officials said 77-year-old Carol Kiparsky and 72-year-old Ian Irwin were found near Shell Beach in Tomales Bay State Park, a national park approximately 50 miles north of San Fransisco, officials said.

Rescuers extracted the couple using a helicopter and transported them to a hospital.

Officials said they are doing OK, suffering only from slight hypothermia. They were able to stay alive by drinking from a puddle where they were located.

"Thank God you found us. We're so happy," the couple reportedly said after they were found.

Kiparsky and Irwin were on a hiking getaway and staying at an Airbnb cottage in nearby Inverness. They went on a Valentine's Day hike but reportly got lost in the dark and don't know what happened after that.

Family members said they last heard from the couple on Feb. 14, but the Airbnb owner called police when the couple didn't check out as scheduled Feb. 15.

Officials had announced Thursday afternoon that search and rescue effort for the Palo Alto couple turned into a search and recovery mission, meaning the couple was presumed dead.

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The Marin County Sheriff's Office held a Saturday morning briefing and said along with 57 personnel working in the search, they had K9s, drones, Mounted Posse, boats and airplanes involved in the search.

Over the past week, around 450 people helped in the search.