CLEVELAND, SC (AP) — Rescuers on Tuesday found a grandmother and three grandchildren who reported missing the previous evening while hiking in a South Carolina state park, prompting a massive search with drones, helicopters, off-road vehicles and dogs.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said the four had parked a vehicle near one trailhead at Caesars Head State Park in Cleveland but were discovered on a different trail altogether.
A helicopter evacuated them from rough terrain made worse by the rain, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said. The hikers had no apparent injuries and were being reunited with family, he said. Emergency responders have been established to assess their health.
“Everything went well and everybody had to have their reunion there,” Lewis told reporters Tuesday.
A boy called 911 Monday night and said he and three family members had been lost for about three hours in the area of the state park, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office identified the hikers as Tonda Michelin, 53; Melody Bangs, 14; Michael Lawton, 11; and Dale Moser, 9. Authorities have not said if they live locally, or why the grandmother did not make the call.
During the 911 call, the boy said his phone battery was almost dead but he was able to stay on the phone for 10 or 12 minutes, the sheriff said. The boy was coherent and knew what was happening, he said.
“We’ll talk to the grandma and the kids and see what they could have done last night,” Lewis said.
The search began on Monday and involved at least 50 people from half a dozen agencies including the National Guard.
Caesars Head State Park is located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Greenville, South Carolina, and is a protected environment for rare animals and plants.
Hikers had parked near the start of the Ravens Cliff Falls trail, which is a 4-mile (5.6-kilometer) round trip, leading to Caesars Head, a dramatic granite overlook on the Blue Ridge Escarpment that provides views of many waterfalls.
All of Caesars Head’s trails are classified as advanced and are in a wilderness setting, according to the website. The hikers were discovered on the Bill Kimball trail, which is a particularly difficult hike.
“It’s rough,” Lewis said. “There are some trails up there, some for more experienced hikers than others. Hurricane Helene knocked over a bunch of trees that are still down there, and covered a lot of those trails up there. There are some signs that they’re gone.”