Early Saturday morning in Hancock County, Tennessee, two young boys, aged 10 and 13, were discovered unharmed after an intensive overnight search and rescue operation led by state and local emergency personnel, according to WVLT and corroborated by a social media post from the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP).
The two boys had been hiking in the Snake Hollow area and got lost, prompting a response from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Hancock County Sheriff's Office, and Hancock County Fire & Rescue, with additional support from THP Aviation and local volunteer fire departments. The troopers assigned to the search, Isaac Cline and Kolby Mullins, reported they were returning to base when they encountered the youths on a rural road. "We were actually on our way back to the house when we saw them," Cline told WATE; "They told us they had been out walking in the woods and even took a nap."
THP Colonel Matt Perry underscored the dedication of the patrol to the well-being of state citizens, saying, "This is exactly what the Tennessee Highway Patrol stands for — serving and protecting all Tennesseans," in a report by WATE. Following the successful operation, Captain Kevin Kimbrough, in charge of THP operations in the Fall Branch District, praised the troopers and community response, emphasizing the local knowledge and connections that facilitated the safe return of the young boys; "Our troopers live in the communities they serve," Kimbrough expressed gratitude towards community partners in a statement obtained by the Tennessee Highway Patrol's Facebook page.
The boys were reported to be uninjured and were promptly reunited with their families, Hancock County Sheriff Brad Brewer lauded the swift actions of the troopers who located the boys and thanked the assisting agencies for their role in the operation, "proud of the Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers who located the boys and deeply appreciative of the assistance from the rescue squad, volunteer fire departments and all outside responding agencies," Sheriff Brewer told WATE.
