BETHEL, Maine — A 15-year-old boy was rescued after getting lost in the woods during a youth camping trip in western Maine overnight Saturday.
Nathan Beckman of Scarsdale, New York, was on a backpacking trip on the Grafton Loop Trail, a remote 38-mile loop trail that connects nine mountain peaks when he went missing after going to the bathroom, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesperson Mark Latti said in a news release.
The teen was traveling with Overland Summers, a Williamstown, Massachusetts organization that organizes outdoor hiking trips.
Latti said trip leaders heard Beckman get out of his tent at the Bull Brook Campsite at approximately 3:15 a.m., followed by sounds of distant yelling.
The leaders started searching for Beckman after confirming he didn't return to his tent. They searched the area but couldn't find him.
At approximately 5 a.m., the leaders called 9-1-1 for help, according to the news release.
About 15 Game Wardens joined by 40 other rescue teams from across the state searched the southern slopes of Old Speck Mountain and Slide Mountain for the missing camper on the ground. Per the news release, they also used two aircraft, a helicopter, and a drone to search from the air.
Game Warden Preston Pomerleau and his K9 partner Gordon found the teen's missing jacket and hiking boot.
At approximately 3:10 p.m., Pomerleau heard yelling from a distance and followed it.
Pomerleau and his K9 found the missing teen in the woods about 0.4 miles from the campsite.
Latti said Beckman was still walking and trying to find his way back to the campsite, which made it harder for the rescue teams to find him.
Per the news release, the camper was in good health and hiked out to meet his group in Bethel at about 6:30 p.m.