Grandmother, 3 kids lost hiking in Caesars Head State Park found safe

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Officials said that four lost hikers in the Upstate were found safe on Tuesday afternoon.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office shared that all four hikers were found around 2:12 p.m. by search and rescue teams on the Bill Kimball trail about two miles into the woods from the trailhead in a ravine.

The search began after an 11-year-old boy called 911 around 6:50 p.m. on Monday. He told dispatch that he was lost along with his grandmother, 14-year-old sister and 9-year-old brother. The call did not last long enough to determine an exact area, officers said.

Sheriff Hobart Lewis reports the grandmother, with her grandchildren, got off the trail and got confused.

There is no suspicious activity being investigated at this time. The grandmother was a little dehydrated when she was found, the sheriff said.

Officials report all four were airlifted out.

Deputies said based on information gathered during the call, the family was believed to be in the area of Caesars Head State Park. A vehicle matching the description provided by the boy, a white Nissan, was located at the Raven Falls trailhead.

Officials said at least 50 were searching for the family, including deputies, park rangers, SLED, SC National Guard, helicopters, drones and K-9 units. The search lasted through the night, but helicopters and drones could not go up in the rain.

“Their immediate recovery remains urgent,” the sheriff’s office said. “Please keep them, their families, and all personnel assisting in these efforts in your thoughts and prayers.”

Officials said on Tuesday that the Raven Falls trailhead was closed to allow emergency crews full access to the area.

Sheriff Lewis reports one deputy rolled their ankle on slippery terrain during the search.

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