Teen missing for 11 days found OK in Tennessee national park

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – A teenager who had not been seen for 11 days has emerged on his own from Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Media outlets report 18-year-old Austin Bohanan walked out of a remote area in Blount County, about 40 miles south of Knoxville.

National Park Service spokeswoman Jamie Sanders says Bohanan was walking and alert and appeared to be in good condition. He was taken to a Maryville hospital before being discharged.

Bohanan’s great-uncle, Clifton Hearon, says the family had a “big celebration” upon hearing the news.

Bohanan was last seen Aug. 11 on a hike with his stepfather and was reported missing Aug. 13. Local and state agencies conducted a search of a wide area.

Hearon says it wasn’t unusual for Bohanan to “go camping and spend a day or two alone.”

___

Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com