Andrew Amburgy, a teenager who had been missing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was found Thursday, Jan. 2, about six miles from where he began his hike with his family on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Park Ranger Scott Kalna located Amburgy, 16, hiking east on the Cove Mountain Trail. He was cold, wet and hungry, but was in good condition and was able to walk out three miles to the closest road in the Ski Mountain area of Gatlinburg, Tenn. He was then transported by rangers to the Little River Ranger Station where he was reunited with his parents.

Kalna and other rangers were called in to begin the search at 7 p.m. Jan. 1, and Kalna’s area of search was the Cove Mountain Trail section. He had entered the Cove Mountain Trail on the Ski Mountain area around midnight and had hiked west to the Laurel Falls Trail junction overnight, including the area where Amburgy was eventually found. Amburgy said he spent the night on the trail and even slept for some hours before waking up after daylight. He did not recall hearing searchers calling him or seeing the lights they carried. Kalna reported that it was so foggy throughout the night that even with headlamps he could have missed Amburgy sleeping along the trail.

Amburgy began his hike with his parents, Joy and Tommy Combs, his grandmother, brother and sister at about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The group had completed about half of the 1.3-mile walk to the falls when Amburgy moved out ahead of the group and became separated. After his group reached the falls and realized that Amburgy was not there, they continued past the falls but did not see him. They hiked back down the trail where they notified the park by cell phone to report the incident.