Wardens Rescue Teens Lost in Northern Maine Woods

An overnight search in the northern Aroostook wilderness led Maine Game Wardens to two teens who got lost Wednesday after being caught in a thunderstorm. 

According to the Maine Warden Service, Mark Nadeau of Gorham was camping near Deboullie Lake with his 16-year-old son Nathaniel and a friend, 15-year-old Garrick Brow.

The two teens hiked to the Deboullie Mountain Fire Tower at about 1:30 p.m.  A storm came in and the two headed down the mountain on the wrong trail, ending up about 3 miles in the wrong direction. Wardens say this put the boys on the west end of Gardner Pond, a very remote location.

At nightfall, three game wardens responded to the call and headed to Deboullie Township for the search. At about 1 a.m. Thursday, wardens made voice contact with the teens on the opposite side of the lake. After a 2 ½ hour hike up Gardner Mountain and down to the lake, the rescue team found the two Gorham boys at about 3:30 a.m. in good condition.

Warden Service Pilot Jeff Spencer was called in at dawn to taxi the party out of the rugged country with the plane across Gardner and Deboullie Ponds.

Red River Sporting Camps owner Jen Brophy spent the entire night in the woods assisting wardens with her knowledge of the trails, which they said was a huge reason the search was successful.