BIG REED POND — Two friends who didn't return to their remote camp in northern Maine on Monday night were located by wardens Tuesday morning, tired, scratched and otherwise unharmed. The culprit: a failed iPhone compass, according to the Maine Warden Service.
Authorities said that at approximately 10 p.m. Monday, the Warden Service was notified that Raven Joseph, 20, of Queens, N.Y., and Jamie Snook, 16, of Merrimac, Mass., hadn't returned to their camp on the shore of Big Reed Pond, which is east of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Jamie's father, Hillary Snook, 56, of Queens, N.Y., arrived at the camp that evening expecting to meet the girls. After a brief search failed to find them, he contacted a local sporting camp owner and the Warden Service was notified.
According to the Warden Service, two area wardens went into the camp and initiated a more thorough search. Six more wardens were called in at daylight, including two search dogs and a Warden Service airplane.
Authorities said the hikers were located at about 9 a.m., about a mile from the camp, near Reed Deadwater. They reportedly told wardens they had hiked to Reed Mountain to the north of the camp in the late afternoon, but missed the camp on their return when the compass in their iPhone failed.
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Always carry a good old fashioned compass!
I was always told to NEVER rely on electronics when out in the woods.Batteries fail,services fail,etc..If they were experienced,they would have used a good old fashioned compass instead.Hoping they learned a good lesson this time around and pack one next time! The end results could have been worse but glad they are safe!
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