RAPID CITY, S.D.- Two missing hikers in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota have been rescued unharmed Thursday morning after spending a risky night in the rugged terrain and wilderness. The 23 and 24-year-old women texted a friend Wednesday night saying they were lost, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said. The friend notified the authorities.
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In a collaborative effort, the Pennington County Search and Rescue Team and the Badlands National Park Rangers located the female hikers about 2-3 miles away from their starting destination at the Sage Creek Campground.
Authorities say two hikers who spent the night lost in South Dakota’s Badlands National Park hiked with rescuers back to their campground and declined medical treatment.
The hikers didn’t immediately respond to telephone and text messages for comment Thursday. The men and a group of other searchers found Bak and Jacob “about two to three miles as the crow flies” east of the campground. Authorities haven’t released the women’s names.
Dietz was eating dinner at Perkins on Wednesday evening when he received a call that two hikers were missing out in the Badlands.
“There’s bunches of trees, a lot of wild grasses that are kind of hard to walk through”, she said.
The search began about 8:30 last night after the women texted a friend that they had gone out on a hike in the late afternoon and realized they were lost. There are wild animals in the area, including bison.
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The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind area hikers to be prepared before heading out.
