Scary Night in the Woods Ends Happily Thanks to a Maine Warden K9

Two hikers who were unable to walk after a night in the woods in Steep Falls were located by a Maine Game Warden and his K9, Breezy.

Where is Steep Falls?

Steep Falls is located on the west side of Sebago Lake, about 14 miles northwest of Gorham, Maine. Wardens went to the area on Sunday after a report of two hikers who had spent the night outside.

How Did the Hikers Get Lost?

Three people went hiking together in Steep Falls on Saturday afternoon off of Mills Street but got turned around and couldn't find their way back out of the woods. They spent the night outside and, in the morning, one of the friends was able to hike out. The person was shoeless and cold when they wandered to a house and told the homeowner that his friends were still lost in the woods and weren't doing well.

K9 units from the Maine Warden Service and Cumberland County Sheriff's Office met up in the area of the lost hikers and began searching the large bog area. At around 3:00 Sunday afternoon, Warden K9 Breezy picked up a scent and led Game Warden Lucas Bellanceau to the missing pair, who were located in the middle of the bog.

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Are They Going to Be Okay?

Joseph Caroto, 48, of Limington, and Stacey Gain, 55, of Baldwin were severely hypothermic and were not able to walk out on their own. The Game Wardens started a fire and gave the pair food and warm drinks to raise their core temperature enough so that they could walk.

Once they had recovered enough, the Maine Game Wardens were joined by representatives of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, as well as members of 6 area fire departments who carried the two hikers out through the bog on a litter, at times through waist-deep water to get them out of the woods. Once there, they were transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where they're both expected to make a full recovery.