'Dad's been shot, I don't know where I am': Boy, 15, finally gets through to rescuers on his phone with 1% battery left as he spends 30 hours in the Sierra Nevada forest to escape gunman who killed his doctor dad in ambush

A 15-year-old boy whose dad was shot dead in a random ambush attack while they were offroading managed to escape the gunman and survived alone in the forest for 30 hours before he was rescued.

Jack Gershman had to hike for an hour through a Sierra Nevada forest to get signal on his cellphone and managed to call for help with just one percent battery remaining after a gunman killed his 45-year-old father Dr Ari Gershman.

The father and son had been enjoying a trip off-roading in their brand new Jeep Rubicon in Tahoe National Forest on Friday when they were attacked by a gunman who had already shot two people in a separate attack, authorities said.

The attack happened near Downieville, California - a remote area 80 miles northeast of Sacramento and 55 miles west of Reno, Nevada. 

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Jack Gershman, 15, was finally able to get through to rescuers with just 1% battery power on his phone before he spent more than 30 hours in a Sierra Nevada forest after a gunman killed his father, Dr Ari Gershman (pictured with family) and wounded two others in separate attacks

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Jack (pictured with siblings) fled and called police to say he was lost, according to the Sierra County Sheriff's Office

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While it's unclear exactly where Jack was found, this map depicts the whereabouts of Jack and his father before the shooting and where the gunman was arrested

The pair had set out at around 9:30am, and had only read about the trail before leaving. 

At around 4.30pm they pulled up to ask for directions from the suspect, who was driving an ATV.

Ari's cousin, Marlo Meyers-Barer, told the San Francisco Chronicle, that the man started shooting 'out of nowhere'.

'Ari stepped on the gas to get out of harms way, but one of the shots ripped through the seat and hit him. He was able to get the Jeep stopped so Jack was able to run into the forest to hide,' Meyers-Barer said. 

Meyers-Barer said Gershman collapsed and died from the gunshot wound at the scene. 

Just before the shooting, Gershman's wife, Paige, who was diagnosed six weeks ago with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, had sent a text to her husband letting him know that she received promising test results. 

She had previously been tracking their progress on the trip using her phone. 

Because her husband is a doctor, Paige said she thought it was odd he didn't respond. 

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Gershman 'was an avid bicyclist, a vegetarian, an outdoorsman, an internal medicine doctor, a devoted and loving father and fantastic friend that was willing to drop anything for his friends and family,' according to the GoFundMe page

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Jack then explained that it had taken him an hour to climb to find signal for his cell phone, which was only at 1 per cent battery power when he made the call. Jack was found in good condition on July 4 in Tahoe National Forest (file image) 

According to Meyes-Barer, Jack called 911 before calling his mother, around 5.30pm. 

During the call, Jack told his mother: 'Dad's been shot and I think he's dead and I'm running away, uphill and I don't know where I am.'

Jack then explained that it had taken him an hour to climb to find signal for his cell phone, which was only at one per cent battery power when he made the call. 

Meyes-Barer and Paige drove four hours to Downieville, and on the way received messages Jack had tried to send earlier in the day.

Meyers-Barer said: 'He said he was sorry and to tell his brother and sister he loved them. And he loved his mom. It was gut-wrenching.' 

When they arrived, deputies at a sheriff's office broke the news that Gershman had been found dead and Jack was still missing. 

Rescuers contacted network provider AT&T to help track pings on Jack's phone despite it being out of battery power. 

According to the Chronicle, the satellites still managed to pick up signals to triangulate his location that helped guide a group of about 70 searchers to Jack.

When they were within half a mile of the location given to them by AT&T, rescuers started shouting Jack's name until they heard a reply.

Jack's family spent 24 hours listening to a radio in the basement of the Sierra County Sheriff's Office before rescuers were able to find him in the forest. 

The sheriff's office said the boy was found in good condition on July 4. Jack had been alone in the forest for more than 30 hours. 

It took about five hours for authorities to extricate Jack from the forest and he was covered in bug bites because he was only wearing shorts and t-shirt. 

Jack told authorities that he was able to get water from a stream he came across while walking in the forest. 

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According to a family member, Jack called 911 before calling his mother, Paige around 5.30pm. During the call, Jack told his mother: 'Dad's been shot and I think he's dead and I'm running away, uphill and I don't know where I am'

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In addition to his son, Gershman is survived by two other children, Evan, 16, and Maci, 10, and by his wife, Paige (pictured together), who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, according to the GoFundMe page

Shortly after finding the boy, authorities spotted the suspect in an all-terrain vehicle, and chased him down on Saturday, the sheriff's office said.

The Sierra County District Attorney’s Office said no charges had been filed as of Tuesday. 

The same man is believed to have shot two other people during a separate attack in the same area on Friday. 

According to the Chronicle, the gunman had previously shot a person who found him rummaging through their belongings. 

The gunman reportedly fled in an ATV, before shooting a woman nearby who was walking her dog. 

Both of the victims were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. 

There was no immediate word on a motive for the shooting of Gershman.

Gershman 'was an avid bicyclist, a vegetarian, an outdoorsman, an internal medicine doctor, a devoted and loving father and fantastic friend that was willing to drop anything for his friends and family,' according to a GoFundMe page which is raising money for the family. 

'He was witty and wise. He died doing what he loved with his son in an area he had hoped to retire in one day.'

In addition to his son, Gershman is survived by two other children, Evan, 16, and Maci, 10, and by his wife, Paige. 

Paige is currently undergoing chemotherapy for the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, according to the GoFundMe page.