A 15-year-old survived 30 hours lost in the woods in California after his father was shot by a gunman while asking for directions

• Jack Gershman's father, Ari Gershman, stopped to ask for directions after getting lost near Tahoe National Forest on July 3.
• The man Gershman asked for directions from shot him, and Jack bolted from his father's car to escape the gunman.
• He then got lost and spent 30 hours in the woods before local officials were able to locate him.
• Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting the teen's father, who has also been accused of shooting at least two other people.

A 15-year-old boy spent 30 hours lost in the woods in Northern California, after running away from a man he says fatally shot his father while they were asking for directions.

Jack Gershman told CBS News that he and his father, Ari Gershman, were planning on driving through the Tahoe National Forest on July 3 when they got lost near the Poker Flat area of Sierra County, northeast of Sacramento.

Ari Gershman stopped to ask for directions, and Jack says that the man they asked opened fire.

"The shooter pulls out a pistol and starts shooting ... and then, after two or three shots, he was hit," Jack told CBS News.

Gershman died from the gunshot wounds, and Jack said he ran from the car into the surrounding woods.

Jack said that at the time, his phone was on low battery and had very little service, but he was able to call and text his mother before it died.

He then wandered for 30 hours until local authorities were able to find him using a K-9 tracking unit. It's unclear how Jack survived for the 30 hours, or if he had any food or water with him.

Sheriff deputies later arrested John Thomas Conway, who they believe shot Gershman. Conway, who has a number of prior felony convictions, is also suspected of shooting and injuring two other people on Friday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Conway is also recovering from a gunshot wound, but it's unclear if he was shot by police during his arrest or at some time before his arrest.

Sierra County prosecutors have not said what charges Conway will face.

Gershman's wife, Paige Gershman, is now a single mother to Jack, as well as a 10-year-old daughter and another son, who is 16. Paige Gershman is also currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, according to a GoFundMe arranged by the family.

The GoFundMe page describes Gershman as an internal medicine doctor, avid cyclist, and a "fantastic friend" who was "witty and wise."

"He was all about helping others, and just so funny and kind," Paige Gershman told CBS News of her late husband. "He's just my best friend."

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