2 Troubled Teens Remain at Large, 5 Found After Escaping Utah Camp

Five of eight teenage boys who fled a wilderness camp for troubled youths were found Monday, two days after some of them beat one counselor and tied up another.

One teen had trudged 30 miles across the frosty Utah desert before surrendering at a hog farm. Another turned up in Nevada after hitchhiking 140 miles. He directed authorities to three others hiding near Beryl, Utah, 15 miles from the Nevada line.

Another boy in the group turned himself in on Saturday after he became ill and was abandoned by the others. He was charged with assault and theft.

With darkness making the search difficult, Iron County Sheriff David “Dude” Benson said he didn’t expect to find the last two boys Monday night. Crews with bloodhounds and helicopters had been scouring southern Utah’s rocky desert for the boys since they fled Saturday.

Authorities were concerned about the boys’ ability to survive in the bitter cold. The boys, ages 14 to 16, had some survival gear, wool coats, blankets and a two-way radio.

The youths had all been sent to the camp by their parents.