Reports are coming in about 11 persons lost in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of western NC. These folks are reported to be three adults and eight teen-aged scouts missing since 2100hrs EDT 23 September. SAR in progress, updates when available.

Hope this story has a happy ending. Here is a link to a CNN article.

They found the scouts safe and well.

After getting off course they stayed the night instead of trying to find their way out in the dark.

Cool beans...

And that is a shining example, folks, of how it is done! Leave it to a group of Scouts to set a great example.

Here's a few more details to this great story.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070925/a_scouts25.art.htm

Hi LumpyJaw,

I'm going to have to disagree with you there are suggest this is not a great story. The adult instructors were useless, they got themselves and their scouts lost and it took them a few days to extract themselves, not by any method, but by dumb luck.

I don't agree the adult instructors were useless. They obviously made sure the troop were properly equipped for their outing, with enough food for an extra day. Whether they were wrong to rely on their map or not, once they were no longer sure of their location, the decisions made were all good ones: they avoided panic and kept the scouts' spirits up; they camped and rested rather than getting exhausted; they followed a stream down the mountain; they kept their eyes open and found electrical lines and a road.

Hindsight is or should be 20-20. Foresight rarely is. IMHO what often matters most is what is perceived and done in between.

Frank 2135,
Ditto and amen!
They were lost - they walked out alive.
That's a geat story!

I have to side with the others on this and disagree with you. Aside from getting lost in the first place, I think the adult leaders did exactly what they should have done. And if your attitude to survival can be summed up by "Don't Get Lost", then I think you're missing the whole point of this forum.

One potential error was the lone scout leader going for help towards the end of the ordeal as reported. At the minimum, he probably should have proceeded using the buddy system.

Flinx