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Grandmother and Three Grandchildren Found Safe After Overnight Hike Near Caesar’s Head

07:15 AM, 11/26/2025
Grandmother and Three Grandchildren Found Safe After Overnight Hike Near Caesar’s Head

A grandmother and three grandchildren reported missing during an overnight hike near Caesar’s Head in Greenville County were found alive the following day. A child called 911 around 6:50 p.m. on Nov. 24 to report the group lost. Search teams using helicopters, drones, UTVs and a GCSO K-9 combed rugged terrain and located the four on the Bill Kimbrell Trail shortly after 2 p.m. on Nov. 25. The Raven Falls trailhead was closed and the search was briefly paused due to fog.

A grandmother and three of her grandchildren who were reported missing after an overnight hike in Greenville County, South Carolina, were located safely the next day, authorities said.

The group was reported missing at about 6:50 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, when one of the children called 911 to report they were lost near Caesar’s Head. The caller told dispatchers he was with an adult woman and two other juveniles and that they had become disoriented while hiking.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office identified the missing as grandmother Tonda Michelin and her grandchildren: Melody Bangs, 14; Michael Lawton, 11; and Dale Moser, 9. An urgent search focused on the Caesar’s Head and Raven Cliff Falls area as crews worked through rugged terrain to locate them.

Search-and-rescue teams used helicopters, drones, UTVs and K-9 units to sweep trails and remote sections of the park. Fire crews reported that a GCSO K-9 picked up a positive scent along a trail late Monday night, and the search was briefly paused at one point because of fog.

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Nov. 25, rescue teams working along the Bill Kimbrell Trail announced that all four hikers had been located safely. Authorities closed the Raven Falls trailhead during the operation to give emergency crews full access to the area. Officials praised the coordinated efforts of rescue personnel; there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

Officials reminded hikers to stay on marked trails, carry adequate supplies, and have a charged phone or a way to call for help in case of emergency.

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