Search on for 2 missing boys in Red River Gorge

Two young cousins were found alive in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge area after going missing and surviving a night in the wilderness.

More than 100 searchers combed the wooded, ravine-filled area looking for the boys, ages 5 and 7.

May said they appear in great condition and were checked out by emergency personnel.

The trooper says he doesn’t know how the boys became separate from adults and wandered away from the Koomer Ridge campground.

Michael Esposito (l.) and Adrian Ross (r.) were discovered safe but hungry after they went missing for almost a day.

Our ABC affiliate in Cincinnati reported that a 5-year-old boy from Batavia, Ohio and his 7-year-old cousin from Bloomington, Indiana were camping and disappeared in the woods Oct.8.

The boys had gone to the campsite with the younger boy’s father and a grandfather of both boys, Veeneman said.

The boys said they had to eat sticks for food. He described the terrain as treacherous in the area where the boys disappeared.

The boys didn’t seem spooked by their night alone in the woods, Esposito said.

Overnight lows had dipped into the mid-50s.

“We’ve got search and rescue (teams) out”, Veeneman said. He added rescuers found them thanks to search dogs who picked up their scent. A helicopter flew over the area Thursday evening as part of the search.