By Chéye Roberson
Sentinel Correspondent
The Perez family from Queens, N.Y., set out on a hike they thought would last less than two hours. But as dusk closed in, they found themselves separated from the rest of their group with very little food—lost in the woods of New York State.
Fortunately, a pack of Greenwich Boy Scouts hiking in the area was able to lead them back to safety.
On Saturday, Oscar Perez, his pregnant wife, Carmen, and their two-year-old son, Benicio, began their hike at Harriman State Park in Rockland County, N.Y. As time passed the family realized they had lost sight of other hikers who had been on the trail with them. They continued walking, and the feeling that they should have long ago reached the end of the trail grew. It became apparent that they were lost.
The Perez family ended up on a trail that is also a seasonal trek for Troop 9 of Greenwich. Troop 9 and Troop 5, of Old Greenwich, were hiking in preparation for an upcoming trip to a National Boy Scout outdoor adventure camp in Philmont, N.M., which includes a 12-day 70 to 80-mile trek through the mountains.
When the Boys Scouts found the Perez family, they realized just how deep in the woods they had wandered.
“The family indicated that they were looking for directions, and it was pretty clear that they were more lost than we thought,” said Dev Hawley, who was on the hike with his son Bennett Hawley. “We were a little confused at first as to where they wanted to get back to because it was so far away we thought they couldn’t possibly have meant there.”
“They were about three miles from where they wanted to be,” said Bennett Hawley.
The scouts were able to share some of their food and water with the Perez family.
“We were carrying water and snacks, like Nutrigrain bars. Since we had an abundance, we were happy to share,” said Bennett Hawley.
Without the Boys Scouts, it is likely the family would have run out of food.
“We also noticed they didn’t have any provisions like water or much food. They were not in a great position to hike their way out before sunset,” said Dev Hawley.
Since it was late in the day, the scouts did not direct the family to retrace steps. Instead, the Perez family tagged along with the scouts to their camp, and then were driven back to recognizable ground in Harriman State Park.
“If they retraced the steps they would wouldn’t get back before dark. So they hiked with us for another two hours and then we drove them back,” said Dev Hawley.
The Boy Scouts were happy to have found the family before they ran out of daylight.
“I feel pretty good, because it was just about night fall and they would’ve been stuck out there with no food,” said 14-year-old Boy Scout Ajax Sung.
The parents of the scouts were proud of their sons for helping to save the family and do it with humility.
“I wasn’t there, but my husband was on the trip with them—and I think it’s great that all the boys were really humble about the experience,” said Ajax’s mother, Alexis Voulgaris. “When I told my son the press wanted to speak to him about what they had done, he said ‘It’s no big deal—it’s what we’re supposed to do.’”
Dev Hawley said the Perez family was grateful to encounter the scouts.
“They were definitely relieved that a Boy Scout crew that was prepared coincidentally found them,” he said.
The scouts ably represented their slogan “Do a good turn daily.”
“It’s was great to put the motto and slogan into practice,” said Bennett Hawley. “It’s not out of the ordinary because it we’re supposed to do it every day, but it was just on a bigger scale.”
