24-04-2025
Phone feature helps rescue family lost in Red River Gorge
RED RIVER GORGE, Ky. (FOX 56) — At 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wolfe County Search and Rescue crews were alerted that a family of three was lost in the Red River Gorge, including a small child.
Authorities said the family went out to hike Tower Rock Trail but eventually got lost after crossing over to a different trail.
The family used the Apple Emergency SOS feature, which provided a set of coordinates to help rescuers locate the family about 2.5 miles from the Bison trailhead.
'In our case, Wolfe County Search and Rescue went right to their location, and they were back to safety in roughly an hour and a half,' Kevin Osbourn, with the rescue team, said.
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He said the family was cold but otherwise okay.
The team gets called out for rescues in the Gorge 60-70 times a year. Osbourn said it's important for hikers to become familiar with this phone feature.
iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite allows people with the iPhone 14 and later to connect and get help when a cellular signal is unavailable.
If you do not have an iPhone, Osbourn said there are other precautions to take.
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'Tell somebody, tell a loved one or a friend, 'Hey I'm going into the woods; this is the time,'' Osbourn said.
Sandy Moore and her family made the spring break trip to the gorge from family completed a short hike and said they make sure to follow safety measures, like bringing snacks and doing research ahead of time.
'The right footwear is good, so we definitely want to make sure we either have hiking shoes or shoes with good treads and just take it slow and steady,' Moore said.
Search and rescue crews encourage people not to shy away from bringing a traditional map with them when going hiking.
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