Search for two missing hikers in South Carolina ends, sheriff says
The search for a missing South Carolina man and woman who disappeared after going hiking has ended, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
Both 77-year-old Mountain Rest resident Carrell Wayne Fowler and 68-year-old Walhalla resident Sharon Kay Bramlett were located at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Information about how the hikers made it to their location and got stuck was not available.
Fowler suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. Otherwise, both hikers appear to be in good health, the sheriff’s office said.
Fowler and Bramlett were reported missing Friday, according to the release.
On Saturday, both the sheriff’s office and the Oconee County Emergency Services asked for the public’s help in finding the missing hikers
The search began late Friday night when one of Fowler’s family members called 911, saying the hikers were missing, according to the release.
The sheriff’s office said it learned that Fowler and Bramlett had gone hiking Friday at Licklog Falls, which is in the northern part of Oconee County near the state line with Georgia.
Fowler and Bramlett went hiking around noon, and when they did not return, family searched the area but could not find them, according to the release. The vehicle that Fowler and Bramlett drove was found in the Licklog Falls parking area, the sheriff’s office said.
The hikers were discovered Sunday afternoon north of the Licklog Falls camping area, near the Georges and the South Carolina/Georgia state line, according to the release.
Deputies said they assisted Oconee County Emergency Services personnel in the search by flying drones in the area. Fowler and Bramlett were located by a drone, and confirmation on their location was made by personnel from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the sheriff’s office said.
As of 2 p.m., efforts were being made to extricate Fowler and Bramlett from the location, according to the release.
Both will be taken to an area hospital for further treatment and evaluation, the sheriff’s office said.
One deputy suffered a non-life-threatening injury in a fall while searching for Fowler and Bramlett and efforts are also being made to extract the law enforcement officer for further medical treatment, according to the release.
The Foothills Search and Rescue, Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad, K-9 Justice, Longcreek Fire Department, Mountain Rest Fire Department, South Carolina DNR, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, the South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue team, the South Carolina National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service as well as other individuals and search groups participated in the search.
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This story was originally published April 6, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
