Search Team Uses Remote Guidance Recently to Help Lost Hikers that included Children in Red River Gorge

The Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team (WCSAR) helped guide a group of lost hikers, including two young children, back to safety Saturday, May 2n,2026 in the Red River Gorge area.

According to WCSAR, crews received a 911 call around 8 p.m. on May 2 regarding a group of hikers that included a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old. Despite poor cell service in the area, rescuers were able to determine the group had parked at Copperas Creek along Red River Road.

Officials said once the hikers reached higher ground, their cell signal improved enough for rescuers to send a locator link to the group’s phone. Using that information, search teams determined the hikers were lost on the east side of Osborne Bend near Lost Branch Junction.

With temperatures dropping and darkness setting in, search and rescue members chose to guide the group remotely toward Copperas Ridge Road rather than launch a full ground search. Officials said the hikers then faced about a one-mile walk back to Red River Road.

A Menifee County deputy was dispatched to locate the group along Copperas Ridge Road and safely transport them back to the trailhead. Throughout the rescue, WCSAR members continued monitoring the hikers’ progress to ensure they stayed on the correct route until help arrived.

Following the incident, WCSAR encouraged hikers exploring the Osborne Bend Trail to be aware of the trail’s distance and changing conditions. Officials noted that a significant blowdown in the area has made it easier for hikers to lose the marked trail.

Rescuers also advised visitors to carry a map, compass, and/or a mobile navigation app with offline maps downloaded before beginning their hike.