Authorities from four different counties are entering the third day of their search for in Cleveland National Forest. Nicholas Cendoya, 19, and Kyndall Jack, 18, had contacted authorities on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. via cellphone to request assistance, saying they were about a mile from their car and couldn’t find their way back. Authorities found the car but the teens were nowhere nearby, their cellphone battery presumably dead.
Over 50 search and rescue crews with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are currently hunting for the pair on foot and via helicopter, according to . Hundreds of friends and family have turned out to volunteer as well.
Authorities say they believe the teens are still alive. “I believe they took a detour, I believe they did get off the trail and that’s where the trouble started,” said Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Erin Guidice. “The growing concern would be that they have injured themselves and they are under the tree cover and we’re unable to find them by air.”
In a promising sign, a K9 unit is believed to have picked up their scent near Holy Jim Canyon. Rescuers are now focusing their efforts on that area.