Rescuers find grandmother and 3 grandchildren who went missing on a hike in South Carolina

CLEVELAND, S.C. (AP) — Rescuers on Tuesday found a grandmother and three grandchildren who reported the prior evening that they had got lost while hiking in a South Carolina state park, prompting a massive search with drones, helicopters, offroad 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. All four are OK, the office said in the social media post.

A boy called 911 on Monday evening saying 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 whether they live locally, or why the grandmother did not place the call.

During the 911 call, the child said his phone battery had almost run out, Lt. Ryan Flood of the sheriff’s office told WHNS-TV.

The search began Monday and at least 50 people from half a dozen agencies including the National Guard were involved in the search.

Caesars Head State Park is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Greenville, South Carolina, and is a protected environment for rare animals and plants. The 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 atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment that provides views of many waterfalls.

They were discovered on the Bill Kimball trail, which is a particularly difficult hike. All the Caesars Head trails are rated as advanced and are in a wilderness setting, according to the website.