GSMNP - Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers located Andrew Amburgy at 11:30 a.m. today on the Cove Mountain Trail, approximately 6 miles from the Laurel Falls Trailhead where he began his hike with his family Wednesday afternoon.

Park Ranger Scott Kalna found Andrew hiking east on Cove Mountain Trail. Andrew was in good condition, a little cold, wet and hungry, but was able to walk out 3 miles to the closest road along Cove Mountain Trail in the Ski Mountain area of Gatlinburg, TN. He was then transported by Rangers to the Little River Ranger Station where he was reunited with his parents.

Park Ranger Kalna and other rangers were called in to begin the search at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening and Kalna's area of search was the Cove Mountain Trail section. He had entered the Cove Mountain Trail on the Ski Mountain area around midnight and had hiked west to the Laurel Falls Trail junction overnight, including the area where Andrew was eventually found.

According to Andrew he spent the night on the trail and even slept for some hours before waking up after daylight. He did not recall hearing searchers calling him or seeing lights carried by the searchers when they hiked that segment of the Cove Mountain Trail last night. Kalna reported that it was so foggy throughout the night that even with headlamps he could have missed Andrew sleeping along the trail. And if he was asleep it was possible that Andrew could not hear the ranger passing by.

At the time the search was concluded about 20 Park employees and a search dog were involved in the search. About 15 additional trackers and 2 more dog teams were beginning to arrive at the trailhead when Andrew was found.

Andrew began his hike with his parents, Joy and Tommy Combs, his grandmother, brother and sister yesterday around 4 p.m. The group had completed about half of the 1.3-mile walk to the falls when Andrew moved out ahead of the group and became separated. After his group reached the falls and recognized that Andrew was not there, the group continued past the falls with no sight of Andrew. They hiked back down the trail where they notified the Park by cell phone to report the incident.