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BY EMILY SPAIN

You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy. 

A 67-year-old California man crashed his car off a cliff--
Survived--
And was missing for six days until he was rescued-- by his family.

Here’s KTLA with the story:

“Dad is 67-year-old David Lavau, of Lake Hughes. He disappeared last Friday night, but family members simply thought he had taken a trip to see his girlfriend or something. Days past however, and they grew concerned. Tonight, David Lavau’s family found him alive at the bottom of a mountain after his car plunged 200 hundred feet.”

So how did Lavau’s family of amateur detectives track him down?  Well with the help of a professional one...but the LA Times reports the family used technology of their own too.

“‘We got credit cards, we got cellphone [records], we broke into his Facebook,’ Sean LaVau said. He said his 12-year-old daughter was able to break into her grandfather's cellphone and listen to voice-mail messages.”

And a reporter for KCAL says the biggest clue leading to Lavau came from a grocery store.

“...and worked to track down his last purchases and super market video of him checking out not far from the spot where he was ultimately found.”

The sleuthing siblings say their dad swerved over the cliff because of bright headlights and survived by drinking water out of a nearby stream and eating leaves and bugs.

Reports vary on his condition, some say he has fractured ribs, others report a dislocated shoulder.  But the news is consistent on one thing: he is in stable condition and will be OK.  

A relief for his private eye children.

“We stopped at every ravine and and looked over every hill and then my brother got out of the car and we kept screaming and the next thing we heard Dad say ‘help! help!’ and there he was.”

And while Lavau’s fight for survival is impressive, a writer for The Stir notes the family’s effort as the most remarkable part of this story.

“What really blows my mind is that his kids decided to take matters into their own hands -- and they found him. None of that waiting around for the police crap, they (and a detective) just up and did what had to be done to find their dad. Nice work, kids. You should get your own NBC show.”   

Lavau’s first words to family members after they found him? “Can I have some chocolate milk?”

Transcript by Newsy.