The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:24 AM
Great Smoky Mountain Officials Give Details How Missing Blount County Teen Survived 11 Days In Park
Austin Bohanan's stepfather was with Bohanan on Friday afternoon, Aug. 11, when they were separated. His stepfather, Hubert Dyer, Jr. told park officials he was looking for ginseng, according to Chief Ranger Steve Kloster.
At this point in the investigation, the law enforcement component has not been looked at. Kloster said they were focused on a search and rescue mission to locate Austin and bring him back to his family. They will look at the law enforcement angle at a later date.
"It is illegal to take any plants out of the park," Kloster said when asked about ginseng.
Kloster said Bohanan told them he drank water from streams and got close to eating bugs for food after he had been out there for so long.
Park officials said they will go back and talk to Austin next week after he has fully recovered. He was released from the hospital just a few hours after he walked out of the park.
Park rangers said Bohanan told them that after he was separated from his stepfather on Friday afternoon in the Shop Creek area, he climbed to the top of a ridge to try to call his mom for help.
After the call didn't go through a few times, rangers said he told them he tried to follow a creek out of the woods. He believes he followed Tabcat and Panther Creeks, both upstream and downstream, for days within the 6,700-acre search area. He was trying to go towards Highway 129.
He flagged down a passing boat along a creek in the backcountry around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Several search teams assisted throughout the 11 day period including boat operations, dog teams, and ground crews.
Austin went missing Friday night, Aug. 11, but wasn't reported missing until Sunday night, Aug. 13. When asked about the delay in reporting his disappearance, park officials said his family told them they were "confident" they could find him initially. When they couldn't find him, they reported his disappearance to Blount County authorities.
UPDATE Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017 at 11:28 a.m.:
A teenager that was missing for 11 days in the Great Smoky Mountains walked out of the woods along Panther Creek and flagged down a passing boat for help on Aug. 22 at around 2:30 p.m., according to park officials.
Austin Bohanan was uninjured when he reunited with his family, who had been gathered daily near the site since his disappearance.
Bohanan was taken to the hospital and released a few hours later.
Park rangers say Bohanan told them that after he was separated from his stepfather on Friday afternoon in the Shop Creek area, he climbed to the top of the ridge to try to call his mom for help.