Family missing while hiking near Blue Ridge Parkway found safe

A family who did not return from their hike on North Carolina’s Art Loeb Trail has been found safe, officials say. A mom, dad and child failed to return from their hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area on Monday. Search crews closed Black Balsam to search for the family who were reported missing by concerned family members around 8:45 p.m. Monday evening.

Search crews located the family around noon on Tuesday. They suffered only minor injuries. The family told rescue crews their cell phones died Monday night. Fortunately, they carried a whistle, which helped searchers locate them. 

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