The Elbert County community exhaled a collective sigh of relief Tuesday morning as two missing middle-school girls were found safe after a harrowing night in the elements. The girls had disappeared following a basketball game at a local school, igniting a search that lasted into the early hours. "The girls were located by a rancher about seven to eight miles west of the school," Elbert County Undersheriff Dave Fisher told 9News.
Not equipped for the overnight cold and without their cell phones, the search teams comprising over 30 members employed K9 units and drones to sweep the area, CPR reported, the dropping temperatures overnight added urgency to the search effort as the possibility of hypothermia became increasingly likely as time passed, meanwhile, the school district canceled classes on Tuesday; however, they announced that the schools would reopen on Wednesday.
The girls, representing The Colorado Springs School for a basketball event, were last seen at approximately 5 p.m. and found the following morning. Upon their discovery, "The girls were medically evaluated because they were out in the cold overnight," Fisher stated, ensuring their health was a priority before they were reunited with their families, according to Denver7.
Douglas County Search and Rescue along with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office joined the local resources to locate the girls, using advanced searching techniques until late into the night the extensive operation was picked up again the next morning, leading to their eventual safe location by a neighbor and the search efforts were coordinated through the Elbert School, which served as the incident command post, emphasizing the role of community vigilance.
