LIVINGSTON MANOR —  A tense overnight search for two missing children in the dense woods of Sullivan County ended in relief when emergency personel and State Police located the pair in good health on Stump Pond Road in Livingston Manor yesterday morning.

The search began on Sunday, March 16, at approximately 7:49 p.m., when troopers from State Police Roscoe responded to a report of two missing juveniles near Clearwater Estates Drive in the Town of Callicoon. According to the preliminary investigation, a 16-year-old male and a 12-year-old female had gone for a hike in the woods near Clearwater Estates at approximately 5:30 p.m. and had not returned. Due to the ages of the children, the New York State Police witheld their names.

As night fell and temperatures dropped, concerns mounted, prompting Sullivan County emergency personnel to launch a full-scale search and rescue mission. Troopers canvassed the area that night, but the initial search yielded no results.

By early Monday morning, Catskills Hatzolah was contacted to assist. A team of its search and rescue (SAR) volunteers was briefed at approximately 7:00 a.m. before deploying into the field. More than 10 fire departments, Forest Rangers, and New York State Police also mobilized, utilizing drones, search dogs, floodlights, and other advanced search equipment to comb the rugged terrain.

The departments and agencies involved were as follows:

Livingston Manor Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Callicoon Center Fire Department

Kauneonga Lake Fire Department

Livingston Manor Fire Department

Neversink Fire Department

Roscoe-Rockland Fire Department

White Sulphur Springs Fire Department

Youngsville Fire Department

New York State Police

New York State Forest Rangers

Sullivan County Division of Public Safety

Sullivan County 911 Center

Sullivan County Bureau of Fire

Sullivan County Bureau of EMS

Office of Emergency Management

At approximately 8:55 a.m. Monday, the missing people were found walking on Stump Pond Road, safe and in good health. Emergency personnel evaluated them for exposure and exhaustion before reuniting them with their relieved families.

Despite their tireless work, the children remained missing through the night until Monday morning’s breakthrough finally brought the search to a close from a Catskills Hatzolah member and a New York State Forest Ranger.