Berkeley Township, NJ – A pair of hikers lost for hours in the dense woods of Dover Forge were safely guided out Saturday afternoon after a high-tech search involving drones and all-terrain vehicles led to their discovery just before sunset.
The adult man and woman had entered the wooded area around 9 a.m. but became disoriented and unable to find their way back to their vehicle. At approximately 2:20 p.m., the woman called Berkeley Township Police to report that they were lost.
Officers from multiple divisions responded immediately, deploying both the Drone Unit and ATV Unit to cover the expansive terrain. After nearly two and a half hours of searching, a police-operated drone spotted the pair about 150 yards from a nearby creek.
Remarkably, the hikers were able to follow the drone’s movement back to awaiting officers. They were evaluated by Berkeley Township EMS at the scene and released without injuries.
The search was led by Sgt. Houle, Ptl. Shan, Ptl. Slocum, and supported by drone operators Ptl. DeDeyn, and Ptl. Bondulich, with ATV assistance from Sgt. Flanegan.