A grandmother and her three grandchildren have been found alive after spending a night lost in the South Carolina wilderness.
The group was reported missing around 6:50 p.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 24, by one of the children, according to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy told authorities that he and three others — an adult woman and two other juveniles — had gotten lost in the area of Caesar’s Head.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the sheriff’s office identified the missing individuals as grandmother Tonda Michelin and her three grandchildren: 14-year-old Melody Bangs, 11-year-old Michael Lawton and 9-year-old Dale Moser.
An “urgent” search was launched in the Caesar’s Head and Raven Cliff Falls area, the department said.
Shortly after 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office announced that all four hikers had been “located safely” by search and rescue teams on the Bill Kimbrell trail.
Teams had been searching through what officials described as “rugged terrain,” using helicopters, drones and UTVs to cover more ground. Authorities temporarily closed the Raven Falls trailhead during the operation to give emergency crews full access to the area.
Fire crews said a Greenville County Sheriff’s Office K-9 picked up a positive scent on a trail Monday night, according to ABC affiliate WLOS–TV. The search was briefly paused at one point due to fog before eventually resuming and successfully locating the family.
