What to Know
- The boys were part of a summer camp group based in Highland that went to the park for a hike
- Members of their community turned out in force to help look for them
- Reports say the boys splintered off from the group to take a shortcut and never reconnected
The two Brooklyn teenagers who were reported missing in a sprawling Hudson Valley state park have been found safe, a day after they were separated from their summer camp group.
Volunteers told NBC 4 New York that the boys, both 16, were brought to safety at about 10 a.m. Friday after spending more than 24 hours lost in the 5,025-acre Bear Mountain State Park in Rockland County. They were evaluated at the scene and released to their parents dehydrated but OK, parks officials said.
Their rescue came hours after the boys encountered another hiker on a trail and used the hiker's phone to call one of their mothers, volunteers said. Search crews used the information to narrow down the boys' location.
They were part of a large sleepaway group hiking in the park and were reported missing late Thursday when they didn't return to the bus. The two boys stayed behind with only a bottle of water and were dehydrated when they were found, witnesses told The Journal News.
The camp told NBC 4 New York they were "thanking God (the boys) were found" but declined to give further comment.
Volunteers from the boys' Brooklyn community turned out in force to search for them Thursday night, but State Police held them at bay until daylight for safety reasons. Authorities canvassed the area overnight, and the search continued into Friday. Aviation units were also called in.
