Boxford police chief applauds teens who found boys lost in woods
Four teens used "good sense" on a bike ride through Boxford State Forest, according to Boxford's police chief, as the high school freshmen became heroes by rescuing two 9-year-old boys who had gotten lost.
The teens, all from Middleton, carried the boys, who were cold and had removed their wet shoes after trudging through puddles, nearly a mile to the nearest road, according to police. The teens replaced the 9-year-olds' wet socks with their own mittens to keep them warm.
"These four ninth-graders really used very good sense," said Boxford Police Chief Gordon Russell. He said he plans to thank the rescuers with personal letters of recognition. The four - Travis Brown, Paul Calisi, Adam Tremblay, and James Aloisio - attend Masconomet Regional High School.
The younger boys, whose parents declined to give their names, were reported missing to Boxford Police at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 9. One of the boys' parents had last seen them at about 1 p.m., when they were in the woods behind one boy's house on Crooked Pond Drive, Russell said.
"They said the reason they got lost was because they were exploring trails and they just went too far," Brown said.
Brown said he was riding and stopped his bike mid-puddle when he heard sounds coming from off the trail.
"I thought it was dogs barking," he said, "but it was actually kids yelling for help."
Calisi called police after they found the lost boys near Bald Hill. Police were able to direct them to the nearest road, Ross Lane in Middleton, by blaring their sirens, Russell said. He said Middleton and State police were called for search assistance.
Boxford State Forest encompasses 1,000 acres in Boxford, Middleton, and North Andover, said Wendy Fox, spokeswoman at the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
About 20 miles of trails snake through the forest.
"When you have so many trees and so many trails that look the same, it's easy to get confused," said Russell, describing the area as "rugged hill country," dense with thickets and brush foliage.
Boxford Police conduct about four searches in the forest each year, Russell said. This was their second search of 2008.
The first occurred when a 36-year-old man called for help after realizing he had lost his way while walking his dog in the woods, Russell said.
"If you get off a trail, you're really not in good shape, said Russell, "unless you are familiar with the area."
Brown, Calisi, Tremblay, and Aloisio are very familiar with the area. They cycle the park's trails three or four times a week, Calisi said. "It's sort of a tradition." 