Maine Warden K9 Team Finds a NY Teen Who Got Lost While Camping

A Maine Game Warden and his K9 located a New York teenager who lost his way back to his camp overnight.

Where Was the Teen Camping?

Nathan Beckman, 15, of Scarsdale, New York was part of a group camping trip hosted by Overland Summers, a Massachusetts organization that specializes in youth outdoor adventures. The group was on a backpacking trip on the Grafton Loop Trail in Western Maine, which is a remote 38-mile loop trail that connects nine mountain peaks.

When Did He Get Lost?

Beckman got up at around 3:15 Saturday morning and left his tent at the Bull Brook Campsite to go to the restroom. Maine Warden Service spokesperson Mark Latti says trip leaders heard Beckman get out of his tent and then heard some distant yelling. When they confirmed that he had not returned to his tent, the leaders began searching for him but were unable to locate him or get him to come back. When they could no longer hear Beckman, the leaders called 911 a little after 5:00 Saturday morning.

15 Game Wardens responded to the scene, as well as over 40 people from search and rescue teams from across the state. Included in the search were two fixed wing aircraft, a helicopter, and a drone that searched from the air. ATV's were used to transport search teams into the remote area on the southern slopes of Old Speck Mountain and Slide Mountain.

How Was He Located?

It was afternoon before Game Warden Preston Pomerleau and his K-9 partner Gordon located a jacket and hiking boots which were believed to belong to Nathan. They continued searching the area and just after 3:00 in the afternoon, they heard distant yelling. The pair followed the sound and located Nathan in the woods about 0.4 miles from the campsite. He was still moving through the woods on the steep mountainside, trying to find his way back to camp. Somehow, he kept missing the searchers and walking through areas that had already been searched. Officials say he was in good health and did not need medical attention and was reunited with his group in Bethel at about 6:30 Saturday evening.