Vermont State Police July 25, 2019 Shmuel Rabinowitz was located and escorted out of the woods uninjured. The Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team were assisted by Killington Search and Rescue, Killington Fire Department, Killington Police Department, New England K9 Search and Rescue, Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, Vermont Air National Guard, US Forest Service and the Green Mountain Club.
***Update No. 2, 6:20 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2019***
Thursday evening, the Vermont State Police learned that Shmuel Rabinowitz encountered other hikers in the area and used their cellphone to make contact with relatives. Search and rescue teams are in the process of making their way to the location where the missing hiker was reported to be to confirm his identity and to help bring him to safety.
Further updates will be provided as the rescue effort proceeds. No additional information is available at this time.
***Update, 5 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2019***
The correct spelling of the missing hiker’s first name is Shmuel.
***Initial news release, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2019***
The Vermont State Police is searching for a missing hiker who was last seen Wednesday evening with a large group of friends on the Appalachian Trail near the Cooper Lodge in Killington. The hiker is identified as Shmuel Rabinowitz, 15, of Montreal. The last contact with him was at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, 2019.
Shmuel is described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He was last seen wearing a lime green shirt, tan pants, a black baseball cap and a blue backpack.
Search crews have been working along hiking trails and any corridors near the last point of contact. Agencies involved in the search effort include the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team, Killington Search and Rescue, New England K-9 Search and Rescue, Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, U.S. Forest Service, Green Mountain Club, and the Vermont National Guard.
Anyone with information about Shmuel’s whereabouts or who may have seen an individual matching his description is asked to contact the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101.