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Missing Cub Scout, 11, Found Alive

Aired June 21, 2005 - 14:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We are seeing activity in the search for a missing Boy Scout in Utah. CNN's Ted Rowlands joins us now from Summit County, Utah, with the latest in this. Ted, are they any closer to finding him?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're not quite sure. There's definitely some activity out here. We were standing along the river where they had been searching for a considerable time. About fifteen minutes ago, a group of horseback riders that were involved in the search were all in a line, and a couple of them were sort of hootening -- hooting and hollering, and we were trying to communicate with them across the river. It sounded as though they said something had been found, and they insinuated that it may have been the boy, Brennan Hawkins, the 11-year-old who has now been missing since Friday.

We have not been able to confirm it. A local television station, KSL in Salt Lake City, is reporting that Brennan Hawkins has been found. There's no more information. The sheriff has said that in -- within a few minutes, back there at the -- I don't know if you can see behind me where the activity is -- in a few minutes they plan to have an update. It truly will be amazing if indeed this boy has been found. He has been gone since Friday evening at 5:30. Since then, they have scoured a six-mile radius, from this pot -- from the spot in the Boy Scout camp where he was last seen, and there has been nothing. No clues, no clothes that match Brennan, but now, clearly, there is some sort of development.

We don't know if it is good news for this family, or if it is bad news for this family, but clearly we are standing by and waiting for word as to which way this has gone. They have found something here. Their efforts seem to have paid off as they've continued to search day and night for this young boy.

NGUYEN: And Ted, search crews have really been focusing on this river in fear that perhaps he may have wandered toward it or even fell in and got caught under.

ROWLANDS: They have, and whether or not what they found was close to the river or not, we just don't know. We did see a medical transport helicopter around the area, which we have not seen before. We've seen search helicopters and search planes. This was a medical transport helicopter. And one of the horseback riders who was talking to us across the river -- we couldn't hear him very well -- he pointed to that helicopter. So whether that has a relation to this, we just don't know at this point. What do we know is, clearly, there is a development. And the sheriff has told us that they do expect to have an announcement soon, in his words, and that a local television station, KSL, in Salt Lake City, is reporting that Brennan Hawkins has been found after being reported missing last since Friday evening in some very, very rugged conditions. He spent the night, presumably, by himself. We have to wait and see which way this is going. We'll keep you posted.

NGUYEN: All right. Definitely. And we'll continue to follow this story. Do bring us up to date as soon as you know something. Thank you for that.

You're watching CNN's LIVE FROM. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: This just in. There are new developments in the search for a missing Utah Boy Scout. Let's go to now to CNN's Ted Rowlands for an update on that -- Ted.

ROWLANDS: Well, Betty, we're getting more information, a number of volunteers that are coming in here are saying that the boy has been found and has been found alive. Brennan Hawkins, the subject of this search since Friday, has been found, according to numerous volunteers. They say the search has been called off because he's been found alive.

The sheriff has said that they expect to give us official word in just a few moments. But boy, what a wonderful ending to this story, which seemed so desperate just even a few hours ago. The family has been searching this mountainous region, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, since Friday afternoon -- excuse me -- and now it appears as though it is coming to an end. And possibly -- we believe now that the boy has been found alive.

NGUYEN: That is just amazing, because so many times when we hear about searches, especially one that's gone on for as long as this one, you hope for the best, but you fear for the worst. But let's make this very clear. The boy has been found alive, correct?

ROWLANDS: Yes, that's what -- according to several volunteers. And this is a sheriff's unit that they were using as a command post. They are now pulling it away from where it was housed, just a few hundred feet away from us, and now taking it to some other location. Now whether the place where they found this boy is a crime scene, we just don't know. But they have -- we have confirmed, CNN's confirmed through numerous volunteers, that the boy has been found alive and that the search has been called off.

And clearly, there's a lot of activity out here. There's a lot of excitement from not only the searchers, but from the folks that have been covering this since Friday, as well. And we believe that this has come to a good, happy ending, one that really, quite frankly, didn't look like a possibility as the days wore on.

NGUYEN: Can you tell us a little about this area where he is believed to have been found alive? What do you know about it? ROWLANDS: Well, it -- we're at about 8,000 feet in a very mountainous region. It's a rugged area. But the specific spot where he was last seen is a Boy Scout camp. And it's been in operation for some 40 years. They have numerous acres. And the area where he was actually last seen is very tame. It's very flat, it's filled with paths and roads. There's the mess hall. There's the different areas where the Scout sleep, different camping areas.

So many people were scratching their heads of how this young boy would have disappeared without a trace from this compound. The search started in the compound area and has expanded over the days and has now gotten to about the 8-mile in radius portion. We don't know where he has been found. Clearly, it wasn't in the Boy Scout camp area. It had to be somewhere else. How he got to where they found him, we don't know. We don't know any of the details. But we know that this young man has been able to survive this ordeal and is alive.

NGUYEN: This is great news, especially for the family of the little boy who has been missing since Friday. I know information is still coming into you. You're looking over your shoulder now, trying to see what is going on. Tell us a little bit about the activity that you've seen. Have you seen any family members? What are they saying? Have you had a chance to hear from anyone connected to this little boy?

ROWLANDS: We have not. What you see there is a gaggle of media members surrounding presumably either the sheriff or a family member. We've been getting a lot of information from Brennan's uncle, Bob. And it may be he that is over there briefing the media. But now you see a couple of reporters who have -- who are in this scrum now, sprinting away, presumably to deliver some confirmed news and to confirm the fact that Brennan has been found alive.

We'll have to wait and see. We do have a producer there, and we should be able to get that information within a matter of seconds here.

NGUYEN: Well, as we wait to hear on that, I know there's been a lot of speculation on whether or not these two boys that were missing -- now we understand that Brennan has been found alive, but there was another little boy who went missing from the same area last year. If either of these missing cases were connected. Is that something that may be up for consideration at this point still?

ROWLAND: Yes, Garrett Bardsley was reported missing and was last seen about 15 miles from here. And the sheriff says that while there are similarities -- they were both in scouting, they were both young boys they and both vanished without a trace -- but clear difference is that Brennan disappeared from a compound with 1,200 Boy Scouts. Garrett disappeared from a small camping expedition with a just a handful of Boy Scouts, about 12. And he left in very rigorous terrain. And near the point where he was last seen, there was a huge 400-foot drop off. And off the record, it is believed by many searchers that he fell in treacherous icy conditions.

That said, the similarities are striking. Two young boys in less than a year in a very small radius, both vanishing without a trace. Until now. Brennan has been found, according to multiple volunteers, and we believe that that is being confirmed at this moment. The 11- year-old being able to withstand this time by himself, presumably, away from his family, in this very -- in these very rugged conditions.

NGUYEN: And as we wait to here more information on this, I think we should talk a little bit about that, too, Ted. Because it is quite remarkable. He only had a sweatshirt and some shorts on. And temperatures did dip kind of low in the evenings. While it was nowhere near freezing, it did get quite chilly there, correct?

ROWLANDS: The weather has been perfect, if you will, for this scenario, according to the sheriff and the other local searchers, because it hasn't dipped too low. Last night, it dipped into the low '30s. It didn't get below freezing, but it did dip into the '30s. Not too far from here -- in fact, when I'm driving in here, you drive through snow. This can potentially be very, very frigid in the evening hours.

And there has been no precipitation at all. So if Brennan was hunkered down somewhere where he had wandered to and just basically stopped moving, he could survive. And that's what really propelled the search effort. That's what the family kept coming back on. The weather has been good, Brennan is out there.

And I got to tell you, their hope was -- has not wavered. The family was out early this morning, his sister, all of them, saying, yes, say, we'll look at the river. We don't think he's in the river. Yes, maybe he was abducted, we don't think it. We we can find him if we just keep searching. And they did, indeed, do that. And now it looks as though they have found him.

NGUYEN: Yes, the family has said all along that they really doubted he would have headed toward the river. But it is, again, quite amazing that he would survive for this long out there by himself. Talk to us a little bit about the survival skills that he has. I mean, after all, he is a Boy Scout, but what does he know when it comes to surviving in these elements by himself?

ROWLANDS: Well, not much, according to his family. He's not actually a Boy Scout. He's only 11. So he was younger scout. He was in the Cub Scouts. But he was never actually a Boy Scout. And that was the big fear from the family. They said that he's very familiar with the outdoors, been camping all his life. This is an outdoor family. But he's a timid young man and they were fearful that he just wouldn't be able to survive. But, obviously, he did what he needed to do to stay alive.

You mentioned what he was wearing, a blue sweatshirt, a pair of nylon shorts and some tennis shoes. He had been using a climbing wall at the Boy Scout camp. He and a friend were younger than the Scouts attending this camp, but one of the friend's father was working at the camp, so these two youngsters were invited, basically, to enjoy the privileges of the Boy Scout's camp at a younger age.

They were really in for a treat this week and enjoying it. They were using the rock climbing wall. And that was when he was last seen.

The family was clearly worried about Brennan being alone out here, because he wasn't a full fledged Boy Scout and he was only 11 years old. He is only 11 years old.

NGUYEN: And for those of you...

ROWLANDS: And I'm surprised we haven't heard more.

NGUYEN: Right. Well, we were learning...

ROWLANDS: His family's (ph) still here.

NGUYEN: It seems everything by the minute. Just to recap for the viewers just joining us, 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins, a scout there in Utah who's been missing since Friday has been found alive today. There's very little information on the circumstances surrounding them finding him today or exactly where he has been for the last few days.

We've been speaking with CNN'S Ted Rowlands, who is there on the scene. Ted, set the scenario right now. What is going on right now at the search area? I guess the search is no longer in effect at this point, since he has been found alive.

ROWLANDS: No. And we have been seeing the volunteers and the professional searchers streaming in here for the last half an hour. They've been coming on horseback, ATV, and foot and also in vehicles.

And for the most part, they all seem to be happy. It seems as though some of them don't know the details. Word has spread that Brennan has been found alive.

Now, we have not confirmed this through the sheriff's department. We have only confirmed this through multiple volunteers who say that they have been told the search has been called off, because Brennan has been found alive.

A group of horseback volunteers were -- were on horseback, and they pointed up towards the medical evacuation chopper, and they were raising their fists and their hands, saying, "Woo-hoo, he's going home."

So we believe that Brennan has been found alive, and the volunteers believe that the search is called off because he has been found alive. However, the sheriff, who says an announcement is coming in the next few minutes, has not confirmed it. So there is the off chance that some misinformation went through the -- ranks of the volunteers. But judging by their reaction, I would highly doubt that that's the case.

NGUYEN: Ted Rowlands, we're going to ask you to stand by so you can gather some more information. We want to go now on the phone to CNN's Keith Oppenheim, who is at the command center for the latest in what is going on in that area.

Keith, what do you know?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are waiting for official word from the command center, from the officials here, as to whether or not they can say definitively that Brennan Hawkins has been found. But I can give you a couple of...

NGUYEN: Are you with us, Keith? Keith Oppenheim, are you with us?

All right, we've lost that audio connection with Keith Oppenheim. We'll try to get back with him in just a few moments.

But just to recap, just briefly right now, 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins, the scout who was missing in Utah, has been found alive today. We are still learning many details surrounding that. Let's go now to Ted Rowlands on the scene with the latest in what is happening there right now -- Ted.

ROWLANDS: Well, Betty, we're getting a little bit more information. A gentlemen by the name of Joshua Gilbert, an EMT, is telling CNN that Brennan has been found alive and that he is, quote, "OK," but that the chopper, the medevac chopper that we saw hovering here apparently can not get him out.

We don't know where he is, but presumably he's in a position where the chopper can not get him out. I can hear the chopper now above us. Again, whether they're still efforting a removal with the chopper or they're doing something else, we just don't know.

But more good news, and this is from an EMT who has been working this, saying that Brennan is alive, the 11-year-old who has been missing since Friday. Here is the bite from the EMT right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSHUA GILBERT, EMERGENCY OFFICIAL: They're saying that he'll be just fine, but they can't get the chopper where he's at. So that was the last of it. They're saying he will be just fine. He's not having any problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean they can see him, but they don't exactly know how to get him out of there?

GILBERT: No. They're -- well, from what I understand, they've got him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're with him on the ground?

GILBERT: They're with him on the ground. They're saying he's just fine. He has no problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where was he found specifically?

GILBERT: Lily Lake was where he was. So he was -- he walked quite a distance to a lake called Lily Lake, and that's where he was found. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you hearing that on the radio or what?

GILBERT: Lily Lake is down a ways. We're -- we're down with the family. And that's what they -- they've all been confirmed. They're trying to get helicopters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're with the fire department, right?

GILBERT: I work part time. I work as an EMT, and that's why I'm up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS: Well, where you have it. Apparently, Brennan wandered to an area quite a distance from the Boy Scout camp called Lily Lake. And that is where they're trying to get him out. And the EMT says that he has been told that he is, quote, "just fine" and he is going to be all right.

What a miraculous end to a story which really had -- all -- with time going by, despair was starting to take over here. And just if you looked at the facts of the case. A young boy, 11 years old boy, gone since Friday evening at 5:30.

Now Tuesday afternoon, still alive and presumably both OK and well. Undoubtedly, a very happy family right now, and a very happy group of hundreds of volunteers that came out to search for this young boy.

NGUYEN: Absolutely, and it's a story that we don't hear too often in cases like this, unfortunately.

Let's go back to where he has been found, this place called Lily Lake. Do you know where it is in relationship to the camp site where he went missing?

ROWLANDS: I sure don't. And according to -- listening to that, it sounds like it's sounds as though it's quite a distance away from here. And clearly, the chopper, as it was trying to remove Brennan, was quite a distance away from us. I fact, we only saw the chopper turning around and appearing to go for a second try.

But it is clearly -- it has to be, you know, miles away from where he was last seen at this Boy Scout camp. How he got there without being seen, we'll have to wait and see the details of this. One thing for sure, if indeed he just wandered off and survived, he's going to have quite a story to tell. And he'll have a lot of people waiting to hear it, that's for sure.

NGUYEN: And including us. And in that story, I think another thing that's quite remarkable, not only the fact that he's been found alive, the fact that, according to that sound that we just heard, it appears that he's A-OK, that he isn't injured. I mean, is that what you got from it, as well?

ROWLANDS: Yes, clearly. And that means that he was able to stay warm enough at night. He clearly hasn't had anything to eat, presumably for the last four days. But they say he is OK. And I'm sure he's very tired and very hungry.

And in fact, that's what his dad said yesterday when he was asked, "Are you still hopeful that you can find your son?" He said, "Yes, I'm hopeful that I'm going to find my son. I'm going to find him. He's going to be tired and he's going to be hungry, but we're going to find him." And it looks like he was right. Indeed, that is what's happening.

There doesn't seem to be that much activity behind us now. I'm not sure if the sheriff has called off this press conference. But we're just waiting to see. And now I'm hearing that the sheriff actually is coming over here to brief the media. So we'll be able to hear his announcement live when that happens. That will be in the next few minutes.

NGUYEN: OK. We're going to stand by for that. We appreciate your information as the story continues to develop.

Just to recap briefly right now, 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins, who's been missing since Friday -- that's that scout in Utah who went missing from his camp site -- has been found alive today. We understand he was found in an area near the Lily Lake there. We don't know how exactly far that is from the camp site where he went missing.

But the situation right now is rescue crews cannot get a helicopter to where he is. It appears, though, that he is not injured. But we're going to get more from Joshua Gilbert. We're going to listen to a little bit of what he told reporters. He is an EMT with the volunteer search effort. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GILBERT: ... major problems. They're saying that he'll be just fine, but they can't get the chopper where he's at. So that was the last of it. They're saying he will be just fine. He's not having any problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean they can see him, but they don't exactly know how to get him out of there?

GILBERT: No. They're -- well, from what I understand, they've got him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're with him on the ground?

GILBERT: They're with him on the ground. They're saying he's just fine. He has no problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where was he found specifically?

GILBERT: Lily Lake was where he was. So he was -- he walked quite a distance to a lake called Lily Lake, and that's where he was found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you hearing that on the radio or what?

GILBERT: Lily Lake is down a ways. We're -- we're down with the family. And that's what they -- they've all been confirmed. They're trying to get helicopters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're with the fire department, right?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So there you've heard it: 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins has been found alive. We are keeping up to date with the story. We're trying to learn a little bit more about the circumstances of exactly where he was, how he got there and how they're going to get him out of this area where he is right now.

Because according to what we just heard, it seems like helicopters are having a very difficult time of getting down to where he is and lifting him up out of the area.

Let's go back now to CNN's Ted Rowlands, who is on scene with the latest on what is happening there. We're standing by still for that press conference by the sheriff?

ROWLANDS: Yes. And now we're told it may not be a matter of minutes. It's a matter of when the sheriff gets here. So it's sort of fluid, if you will when he gets here, but they're setting up for this briefing, as soon as it comes.

How far is Lily Lake is unknown, but it is a considerable distance. You can still -- I can still hear a helicopter far in the distance, and whether they're still trying to get him out using a helicopter or not, we're just not sure.

But they say that he's fine, and it sounds as if they're going to be able to get to him. And it doesn't seem to be a pressing medical emergency to get him out quickly. He's been there for a few days, so it sounds like they'll be able to get him out when they get him out. The good news, of course, that, according to this EMT, he is going to be just fine and is not injured.

NGUYEN: All right. We're going to ask you to stand by for just a moment, Ted. We want to go now on the phone to Marc Klaas, who unfortunately, lost his daughter. But he's going to be talking to us a little bit about the situation.

Are you very surprised that 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins has been found alive today?

MARC KLAAS, MISSING CHILD ADVOCATE: Yes, I'm somewhat surprised. I mean, we keep hearing, time and time again, of children who are found dead. This is just absolutely a wonderful victory for the search and rescue professionals that engaged -- that engaged this search and worked so very, very hard over the last several days.

NGUYEN: What are some of the questions that come to mind right now for you? I know we have many of them, concerning this disappearance. But for a little boy to be gone for four days and not only be found alive but to be found unharmed, at least from what we know right now. What are some of the questions that run through your mind? Do you think this is the case of a boy who got lost? Or is there something else involved?

KLAAS: No, I'm sure -- I'm sure that the little boy just got lost. I think that it's -- you know, I think that this is a testament to keeping hope alive.

I've been watching not only his parents, but the professionals, the other man who lost his son last year, all working very, very hard to keep this thing in the public eye, to keep everybody focused on looking for a live little child, and I just think it's a testament not only to hope, but to hard work, and maybe even to the players of the public.

What was done right in this case, in your mind when it comes to these search crews?

KLAAS: Everything was done right. These are professionals. These are people that know how to do grid searches, that have the correct resources at their side, and deployed everything like they should have. They were using grids and were systematically going over the entire area. It paid off in a very, very big way.

This should be a -- this should actually be utilized as a template for other searches in the future, for other -- other jurisdictions, other areas that find themselves in similar situations.

NGUYEN: So you're so pleased with this that you think this should be used as an example for other missing cases?

KLAAS: Well, of course, because it was successful. It was successful. They found the little boy.

They -- they were looking -- they were investigating in a variety of different ways. Remember, a couple of days ago, they said that they were investigating it as a kidnapping. So they kept their options open, but they didn't get sidetracked by any one thing, and it paid off so hugely. It paid off so hugely in the end.

This is almost like the Elizabeth Smart case. It's been that long since one of these things was successfully resolved.

NGUYEN: And it's very good news, not only for the family of Brennan Hawkins but just for the many searchers and people watching who have just hoped that he would be found alive.

Throughout the search, have you had a chance to speak with Brennan's family at all, to offer any kind of advice?

KLAAS: No, I haven't spoken with them, but they don't need my advice. I mean, your parental instinct sort of kicks in in these kinds of situations. And they inherently did everything they should have been doing. I mean, you're starting to see the pieces fall in place when little kids disappear. I think after watching so many of these things, people understand that they have to get out in front of the media. They have to encourage people. They have to keep hope alive. They have to put on a brave face.

And I think what they did is they provided the kind of leadership that was necessary so that all of those heroes and everybody that was involved in this case is heroic. Not just the individual that found him, but so that all of these heroes could stay on focus and help to successfully resolve this situation.

NGUYEN: Mark Klaas, we appreciate your time and your insight, with us today. Thank you so much.

KLAAS: Thank you.

NGUYEN: We want to tell you right now that the Boy Scouts has confirmed that 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins has been found alive. We heard that first through our Ted Rowlands.

And we want to go back now out to the search site, well, the site where the search had been taking place, because now he has been found alive.

Ted, what do you know about the situation at this point?

ROWLANDS: Well, first off, we understand that this Lily Lake where Brennan Hawkins was located was about five miles from here. So it makes sense that he could definitely travel that type of a distance. And that is where they are attending to him now.

Keith Oppenheim was over where all that commotion was. We were wondering what was going on. Well, he's going to tell us what was going on. Apparently, that's where it really was confirmed.

OPPENHEIM: Yes. We heard from an emergency medical technician who came in on an all terrain vehicle. And he started talking to the media, saying that Brennan Hawkins had been found in the Lily Lake area.

The folks around here who are in charge of really trying to keep guard of the information so it's consistent. So as this gentlemen was speaking to us, he was pretty much shooed away up by one of the officials who will probably be giving a news conference soon.

But I should also add, Ted, that about an hour and 10 minutes ago, just as I was arriving on the scene here to be the evening crew, I saw an ambulance leaving the area. Now when I say the area, what I mean is a dirt road that goes in about six miles from a highway, a state highway, to the Boy Scout camp where Brennan Hawkins was originally lost.

And as I'm coming onto that dirt road, I see an ambulance on the move, a number of support vehicles. I get to the command center, and I ask my colleagues, everyone, "Is anything going on? Do you know if there's a possibility that the boy is found, keeping in mind this could just be an ambulance for someone who got hurt during the search." And no one had heard anything for about 20 minutes.

Then shortly after my colleague Ted, had finished a live shot, we noticed there was a group of folks on horseback. And they were kind of whooping it up a little bit. And we thought, what are they excited about?

And maybe about 10 minutes after that is when we started to hear rumor he was found in the Lily Lake area.

ROWLANDS: And amazing. And one thing that Marc Klaas was talking about, he didn't talk to this family, but this family did get a lot of help from Garrett Bardsley's father and mother, they were out here searching every day.

Garrett was the young man who disappeared about 15 miles from here earlier this year and is presumed dead. And his parents had a memorial service for him last year.

And they -- when they heard that another young boy was missing, they came out here and they helped to rally the troops. And presumably, if this young man is -- was five miles away, it has taken four full days, and this is basically the end of the radius that they had been searching. They didn't give up, and they had this army of volunteers. I think, really, that made the difference.

OPPENHEIM: Such a good point. Because as you come into the area, you see all these packs of troops, Boy Scout troops, volunteers, and they are all combing this wide area.

So the idea that it would take four days to be able to find Brennan Hawkins, assuming that's all correct at this point, that does not seem unusual when you get a sense of the lay of the land. And also the topography, because he may have been at a higher elevation, certainly far away.

ROWLANDS: Certainly, and they continued to search, and the family continued to hold out hope and continued to ask people to give up their weekdays and weekends. And it seems to have paid off. An amazing ending to this story, which these stories typically -- or not typically but so often end in tragedy. And quite a refreshing end to this one.

OPPENHEIM: Yes. And one of the things that I was just, you know, trying to figure out as I was standing over by the command center is how are people reacting? Because you got a sense that something was happening, but we weren't sure, in their muted responses, if it was tragedy or if it was good news.

And as we continue to watch, again, they're being quite guarded about the information. We got more of a sense that this was, indeed, very good news.

ROWLANDS: Betty, and we're still awaiting confirmation from the sheriff and hopefully some more details as to Brennan's condition and to exactly where he is, about five miles away from here at this Lily Lake, how they're going to get him out. And we're waiting patiently for that. We do not have a timetable at this point, though, as to when that press conference is going to begin. But boy, what a great ending. Brennan Hawkins alive and well, missing since Friday night.

NGUYEN: And we are waiting to hear more details about exactly the circumstances surrounding how they found him, exactly where he is right now and how they're going to get him out of that area.

Just to recap for our viewers right now, Brennan Hawkins, the 11- year-old scout who's been missing in Utah, has been found alive. We are learning through the Associated Press that the Boy Scouts now confirm that he is, indeed, alive.

We learned that a little bit earlier not only through our own Ted Rowlands, but also through an EMT volunteer who is assisting in this search. His name is Joshua Gilbert. And this is what he told reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GILBERT: ... major problems. They're saying that he'll be just fine, but they can't get the chopper where he's at. So that was the last of it. They're saying he will be just fine. He's not having any problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean they can see him, but they don't exactly know how to get him out of there?

GILBERT: No. They're -- well, from what I understand, they've got him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're with him on the ground?

GILBERT: They're with him on the ground. They're saying he's just fine. He has no problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where was he found specifically?

GILBERT: Lily Lake was where he was. So he was -- he walked quite a distance to a lake called Lily Lake, and that's where he was found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you hearing that on the radio or what?

GILBERT: Lily Lake is down a ways. We're -- we're down with the family. And that's what they -- they've all been confirmed. They're trying to get helicopters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're with the fire department, right?

GILBERT: I work part time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: This story is just quite remarkable on so many fronts. Not only the fact that 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins was a Cub Scout. He wasn't a Boy Scout. He didn't have a whole lot of survival skills. But the fact that he's been able to survive out in this area since Friday and be found alive.

You're looking at a live picture right now of a podium area that's being -- a makeshift podium that's being set up for the sheriff, who will be speaking with reporters shortly.

We have on the scene with us today CNN's Keith Oppenheim and Ted Rowlands, who have been following this search for many, many days.

And Ted, I think the thing that really strikes me throughout all of this, when you see a little boy, an 11-year-old boy missing for as long as he had been missing, when the days go by, eventually it seems like hope seems to fade.

But for his family, for his father, that never faded. He always said that his son was going to be found alive, and indeed, that is the case today.

ROWLANDS: Yes, and it is amazing, because of the facts of this case, the fact that Brennan was gone for so long, since Friday night, and in an area which is tough.

I mean, if you think of an 11-year-old boy out on his own, trying to survive, not having any food or any water -- he could have gotten water from the rivers here, but no food at all -- to be found alive really is a wonderful ending that the family kept talking about.

And as a -- I think as a skeptical journalist, you've seen it going the other way so many times, you want to believe that that's going to happen, and it has in the past, but it is so few and far between, the happy endings in a case like this.

And to see it happen with this amount of effort put forth. And without this effort, I think you could argue that maybe Brennan would not have been found, because it was five miles away from where he was last missing, and it took five days, four days to get to him.

OPPENHEIM: We'll learn more about the precise location of where he was. But I think it's pretty safe to say from what we're hearing so far that it wasn't near anything where he could have been easily rescued without the help.

I just want to touch on something that you have been reporting during the day, Ted, that he was really the junior member of this Boy Scout event. He's not a Boy Scout. He's a Cub Scout who was a friend -- whose friend's dad was part of the program here.

So you know, by comparison, he's the little kid and may not have the same degree of experience and survival skills that some of the other boys have been learning. So that may add to the presumption that a boy like this is going to be in even more trouble when lost in the wilderness.

But other people were saying, Ted, as you have said, that he had some pretty good knowledge of the outdoors. Perhaps that's really what made the difference in the end. What we don't know is -- we're talking here -- is what did he do to survive during these four days? That's going to be one of the great questions to get answered here.

ROWLANDS: Yes, and whether or not he was aware of the search around him, and aware of the amount of help that was looking for him, and whether he could actually hear, you know, the searchers. Because they were out every day yelling, you know, "Brennan, Brennan." And they had about a six-mile radius, but presumably, maybe somebody got pretty close to him.

OPPENHEIM: In the news conference that's about to happen, I think one of the things we'll really be trying to find out is what was that initial contact? Who found him and how did they get his attention?

When you hear rescue stories, we're often amazed at the difficulty that the rescuee, if you will, what they have to do to get the attention of the people who are trying to find that person. So that's obviously one of the things that we're going to be focusing on shortly.

ROWLANDS: Indeed. And we're still waiting for that briefing from the sheriff out here. And we're eagerly waiting on that, to get the details as to where he was found, how he was found, and whether or not he was able to call out, and why it was so difficult to get him out of the predicament that he's in now and get him to the hospital?

We are being told that the parents have been notified and -- of course, and will be either going to the hospital or actually going up into the chopper, if that is how they evacuate him. But they are there, as well. And I can only imagine what they're going through and what they've gone through.

OPPENHEIM: I would just think that one of the things that you would have to really worry about with him right now is dehydration. It's seemingly very pleasant weather around here, but it's dry. Doesn't take long, especially with the colder nights that you have in the mountains, to really lose water.

You know, whether he was being able to drink from the Bear River or find a source that was able to sustain them, that certainly is going to be another question, is how did he make it?

ROWLANDS: How did he survive, yes. And a lot of people didn't think he would survive. And if you look at what has happened in this same area, less than a year ago, another young man disappeared, and he has never found. And he has not been found.

And that family was out here front and center throughout this whole search, providing support and -- and providing -- we have a little activity over here at the -- the news conference. I don't know if the sheriff shown up. I guess not.

OPPENHEIM: Not yet. I'll just add, though, that you know, for other families that go through this, Ted, this story, I would suspect, is going to be a source of hope.

Other kids are going to get lost. And when that happens, the question is how much resources do you put into a situation like that to try to find the child who is missing?

Every situation is different. I don't think there's any exact formula. But I think one impact of this story is that other people are going to look at what happened to Brennan Hawkins and really believe that all that volunteer effort isn't just good will that goes towards tragedy or nothing but can potentially be a meaningful thing to do to help save a life.

ROWLANDS: I think it's safe to say that, in future search efforts, "Remember Brennan Hawkins" is going to be a mantra.

And in fact, remember, Elizabeth Smart is always used in a lot of missing persons cases, missing children's cases, where there does seem to be no hope. Elizabeth Smart amazed everybody when she came out alive and well. And I think that this will only further that -- that optimism which is always there, but it can be stamped down by reality sometimes.

OPPENHEIM: We can't rule out the possibility that there was any kind of criminal activity in this case. That's something that you've been taking about today, that the FBI has been involved and there was some concern in the midst of all this that there might have been.

But at this point, there doesn't appear to be a likelihood. And I think I'm hearing now, Ted, that the sheriff may be coming around. I'm going to take a look over my shoulder and see if...

NGUYEN: Hey, Ted, let me ask you this question.

ROWLANDS: Actually, we're hearing...

NGUYEN: Are you hearing a helicopter at all? Because there -- that's what we heard from this Joshua Gilbert, the gentleman with -- the EMT with the volunteer search effort. That was the concern at this point of trying to get a helicopter into the area and lift Brennan out of where he is right now by this Lily Lake, which is, like you said, about five miles away.

Are you hearing any activities with helicopters in the area as they're trying to pluck him from where Brennan Hawkins is?

ROWLANDS: Yes, yes.

OPPENHEIM: I can say that, yes.

ROWLANDS: You can hear -- and we've heard intermittent distant helicopter operation, but it is not in this immediate area. And it could be five miles away at Lily Lake, trying to use the helicopter to get Brennan out, but it appears they may have to go in and get him and transport him by ambulance.

OPPENHEIM: And I don't have any great details on that point, but that emergency medical technician who I was speaking about earlier, the guy who came in on the all-terrain vehicle, who was not an official spokesman and was actually shooed away by the official spokesperson, he did indicate that there was a helicopter over the area where Brennan Hawkins was found, but there was no place to land the chopper.

But it did sound like that there were people on the ground with Brennan, and the degree to which that, you know, might have impeded the rescue attempt, I can't say. But they were obviously keeping an eye on the situation from the air, as well.

ROWLANDS: Right. And we saw the medical helicopter circle here on numerous occasions during all of this. And when the searchers on horseback were trying to communicate with us over the river, you couldn't hear them. They pointed to the helicopter. And now we know that they were saying that Brennan was going to be transported by it. That's what they thought was going to be happening.

OPPENHEIM: If you don't mind, if I can ask Ted a question, just because you're bringing that up. So while I was over by the command post, was that your sense over in this part of the command center, that something was going on, that people were pointing towards that chopper, and that gave you a sense that something was going on?

ROWLANDS: The horse -- there were some searchers which were on horseback, which you heard sort of whoop it up a bit. As they continued up the river, the helicopter came overhead, and they were pointing up at the helicopter and motioning towards that and raising their fists.

OPPENHEIM: I can't emphasize quite enough that communication around here is difficult. We live in the communication age where we're so used to Blackberries and cell phones and pages, and those are all on my belt right now. And none of them work, not in this area, because we're in a, you know, very remote spot.

Satellite phones work. Satellite dishes can work through live transmission for television. But otherwise, word doesn't really travel very fast.

So in this story where, you know, I have seen an ambulance leave the area and then come by to the command center, nobody knows anything. It's the old fashioned way. Word has to travel by word of mouth or by satellite communications equipment.

That's why we can't to any of the family members on the phones, because the phones do not work up here. We're about 8,000 feet. Presumably, the family is with Brennan or soon will be with Brennan, bringing to an end a horrific four days for them.

They came out here when they were told that their son was gone. They live in Bountiful (ph), Utah, which is near by, but, a drive up. They found out Friday night, shortly after Brennan was reported missing at 5:30 p.m., Friday. The family immediately came up and started the search. They searched until dusk on Friday night, and then the word went out, and on Saturday morning, the volunteers starting to show up. By Sunday, there were 2,500 volunteers. It was still up towards a 1,000 on Monday, a workday. People from Salt Lake City and Park City came up, along with people in this rural area. And they used not only professional searchers on horseback and ATVs, but they also used volunteers, just people walking through with a grid system. They GPS'd it out. Every spot that was searched was marked off.

It was done in a very professional manner. They used all of resources available, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They were out here, just in case, and to help out with the possibility that Brennan may have been kidnapped. The Adam Walsh Foundation was her, helping out, helping family use the media to their advantage, to get people out.

And, really, as Mark Klaas talked about a little bit earlier, within the last hour, it has evolved. The notion of a missing child -- oh, they're never going to find him -- it's evolved and these success stories have really proven that if people continue to search, and don't give up hope, it's possible to find these kids.

MARK KLAAS, POLLY KLAAS FOUNDATION: The terrain here is so significant, though, in terms of how this army of people operated. Certainly, you saw all the people that you were referring to, using different modes of transportation, just walking, using all-terrain vehicles, using horses. We saw some guys on dirt bikes that were part of the effort. But, you know, the fact that all of this seems to have worked, we say that with some hesitation, really means that people really understood the terrain, that they were able to branch out in different parts of a wide area and figure out where were good places to look.

So, you know, in another missing child story, it may be that people would have to operate in a different environment, an urban one or perhaps semirural. But this is very rural. It's very beautiful out here, and it's very wide-open. So, it just seems to me, having traveled that long road up the mountains to get here, that this was -- that this may have been a fantastic needle-in-the-haystack search.

ROWLANDS: Indeed, and so, Betty, we're still waiting for this press conference. We've been told that it's about 30 minutes away, but the good news -- the ending is a good one, and this young man has been found. Brennan Hawkins, the 11-year-old who's been missing since Friday, alive and well, and we're just waiting the details and the story that he has to tell.

NGUYEN: And what a story that's going to be. This is absolutely remarkable news, especially after a search for as long as people have been looking for 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins.

For those you just joining, just tuning in, here are the developments: 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins who has been missing since Friday -- this is a Scout, a Cub Scout there in Utah, who went missing on Friday, has been found today. We understand that he is alive and well. He's in an area of -- near Lily Lake, which, presumably, is about five miles away from the camp site where he went missing.

The situation now is, trying to get him from the area where he was found to a nearby hospital to check him out for any possible injuries, but we understand from search volunteers on the scene that he is A-OK.

Let's listen to a little bit of what they had to say. This is Joshua Gilbert, an EMT assisting in this volunteer search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA GILBERT, EMERGENCY OFFICIAL: ...major problems. They're saying he'll be just fine, but they can't get the chopper where he's at. So, that was the last of it. They're saying he will be just fine. He's not having problems.

QUESTION: You mean they can see them but don't exactly -- how to get him out of there?

GILBERT: They're say -- well, from what I understand, they've got him. They're on him, with the ground (ph). They're saying he's just fine. He has no problems.

QUESTION: Where was he found specifically?

GILBERT: Lily Lake is where he was. So he was -- he walked quite a distance to a lake called Lily Lake.

QUESTION: Are you hearing that on the radio or what?

GILBERT: Lily Lake is down a ways. Yes, we're down with the family, and that's what they -- they've all been confirmed. They're trying to get helicopters.

QUESTION: So, you're with the fire department, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Trying to get him to a nearby hospital. That hospital is the Primary Children's Medical Center, and we do have the spokesperson on the phone with us right now. Bonnie Midget is her name.

Bonnie, what have you heard so far? When is Brennan going to be headed to your hospital?

VOICE OF BONNIE MIDGET, PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MED. CTR.: We don't know yet. We know that -- last I heard, the chopper has not lifted off, and we still have not had confirmation that is it he. I need to say that, like everyone else, we're hoping it is he, but we don't know that.

NGUYEN: Are you the nearest hospital? Is that why...

MIDGET: We're the only acute-care, trauma-one children's hospital in a five-state area, so, yes, we are the one. NGUYEN: Have you heard anything as to his condition, whether he's injured or not?

MIDGET: Only from the media. That's all we've heard.

NGUYEN: OK. So, what are you preparing for right now as you wait and wonder?

MIDGET: Well, we will first hear from our transport crew once they see him, and then we will be prepared to take care of the complete assessment and take care of injuries or problems he might have.

NGUYEN: And of course you have to have been following this...

MIDGET: Oh, sure.

NGUYEN: ...since Friday. How are you feeling right now? Must be relieved.

MIDGET: Well, we, like everyone else in the state, have followed it very carefully. We are -- if it is he and he is well, we are ecstatic, along with everyone else.

NGUYEN: Especially his family.

MIDGET: Oh, sure.

NGUYEN: Well, Bonnie, we appreciate your time. We will be staying in touch with you to find out if indeed he is headed to your hospital, and what his condition is.

MIDGET: OK.

NGUYEN: Thank you for that.

Now we're going back to CNN's Ted Rowlands who has some new video, I understand. Ted?

ROWLANDS: I understand, yes, we have some video of a helicopter. We also have more information coming in from Jody Hawkins's parents. They were over at the command post and they have talked to their daughter. She is on the way with sheriff's deputies to the hospital and Brennan's father is with the medical helicopter which is transporting Brennan to the hospital. Toby Hawkins is with his son, and we understand that he's doing well.

KLAAS: Yes, and I'll add here that the point where the helicopter picked the boy up is not the same place as to where he was found. There had to be some transport. I'm not sure how far it was from Lily Lake, where Brennan Hawkins was found, to the helicopter where Toby, the father, and Brennan, the boy, are now en route to the hospital, mother going now by vehicle to the hospital, but we're not sure what hospital that is yet.

ROWLANDS: And, the grandparents also said that Brennan said that he was cold and very thirsty, but seems to be in good spirits, and seems to be well, found about five miles from the spot where he was last seen, at the Boy Scout camp, and amazingly, found not only alive, but in good health and now on his way to the hospital.

We understand the sheriff is now on his way here to brief the media and give us some more details as to exactly how he was found. We understand he was found by searchers on horseback. So, again, the search continued into the fourth day, and it paid off. And it's -- one thing that is really, truly amazing is the amount of people that did come up here to this remote location from as far away as Salt Lake City to take part in this. In fact, we heard people coming -- showing up today from as far away as Wisconsin wanting to take part, so...

KLAAS: And we're on the Wyoming border here, so it's easy for people to come from that state as well.

Well, I have a question for you about weather, because you've been here a little bit longer than I have, because I think the point of cold and thirsty can't be underscored enough. First of all, the dehydration which we've been talking about, that's a significant issue, you know, just because it does get quite hot around here in the middle of day. Even though we're at 9,000 feet, it's quite warm in the middle day, but at night, it gets a lot cooler, doesn't it, Ted?

ROWLANDS: Yes, well, we were here at 3:00 this morning, and it was very, very cold.

And, now, we can see that there are some family members headed -- you can see it if you, I don't know, pan off into the distance.

NGUYEN: We're looking at the live picture now, Ted.

ROWLANDS: You can see Bob Hawkins, the uncle, is walking in, and they're walking towards the podium, and...

NGUYEN: Is that the uncle there in the yellow?

ROWLANDS: We'll hear from them shortly.

NGUYEN: Ted, is that the uncle there in the yellow?

ROWLANDS: Yes. Bob -- Bob Hawkins is sort of trailing in the back. He has a yellow Salt Lake 2002 baseball cap on. He has one hand up in the air, and is holding on to -- looks like Brennan's grandparents, with his other hand, and he's motioning his one hand up and down. He has been sort of the media liaison to the parents and to the family while they're tired. Brennan's family has done a remarkable of not only searching and losing sleep with worry, but updating the media, but then it has been Bob who has come in and has really been sort of the conduit between the family and the media and a lot of these search efforts. He's spent a lot of time thanking people for their time and we'll listen to him as he approaches the podium here. And we'll hear firsthand, the first reaction from Brennan Hawkins' family to this remarkable, remarkable ending to a -- what could of been a horrific story. KLAAS: You get to see -- you can see just the relief that comes with exhaustion as they approach the microphones here. We're going to -- I think they're going to get started here and talk to the crowd.

BOB HAWKINS, BRENNAN'S UNCLE: Do we have everybody? I only have the strength to do this once, guys. Is everybody here and ready? I'm going to tell you what we know which isn't a lot, but we'll tell you exactly what we know.

Brennan has been found. He's in very good condition. They're assessing him. They're going to be taking him to a hospital. I don't have details of the hospital. We don't have a lot of details of the condition. It's being worked right now through the Sheriff Edmunds and his crew. Toby and Jody and their children are on the site with Brennan and it's going from there.

It is excellent news. We are all thrilled. We're so happy. What a power burst. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome of this and there are a lot of people we really wish to thank: Kevin Bardsley and all of his efforts and everything that he got, the volunteers, the food, the water, everything that was brought in. We couldn't have done it without.

I'd like to introduce to you: This is Jody's mom and dad. This is Coralee, and Donnis Minors (ph). They -- they're just here to talk. Please don't -- they really don't have any -- they just have a statement. It's very short, very brief. No questions, please. Please respect them.

DONNIS MINORS, (ph) BRENNAN'S GRANDFATHER: Well, two things: One thing, I am so grateful for the news media. I mean, you got the word out and the volunteers came. I mean, they came, it was incredible. Sunday morning was just incredible, overwhelming -- the people who came and wanted to help.

People from not just around here, but all over the western United States, I think. We had friends show up from Hawaii that just wanted to help and you know, it's because of you guys getting the word out and we appreciate that. And we appreciate that so many people who have helped, given their time, their effort, and horses and mules and four-wheelers. And you know, it's just overwhelming. That's all.

Thank yours for everybody. It's just, this is the greatest outcome we could expect. Brennan, from what we know, is doing well. A little dehydrated and cold, but doing well. It's the greatest news we could get. Just a great miracle.

CORALEE MINORS (PH), BRENNAN'S GRANDMOTHER: It's a miracle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you want to tell your grandson?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, no questions. That's it. That's all we know.

D. MINORS: Just, thank you, guys. We really do appreciate it.

HAWKINS: Further information is coming from Sheriff Edmunds, and he plans to have his own release and he will have more details of where they were found. What happened. Details that I know you all are wanting to have. I don't have a firm time. He's still up on-site with Brennan and the family. We understand he's coming back here and will be comment, a statement to you -- all of you. I don't have a time. I don't have any more information I can share.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is Brennan at Lily Lake or is he arriving at the hospital right now?

HAWKINS: Right now, we've heard that he's en route and we've also heard that he is there, but he's definitely going to the hospital. So, there's a lot going on right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bob, do you know where Jody and Toby were when they heard news that their son had been found?

HAWKINS: Where they are every day: Toby was in the field. Jody was down encouraging and helping the volunteers that were coming in to help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you first hear? I mean, who was the one who told you?

HAWKINS: I heard it on the news media. You guys are way ahead of us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what did you do when you heard that?

HAWKINS: We were just elated. We -- it was unconfirmed. We didn't know and we were just waiting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any idea who the person was who actually found him?

HAWKINS: Do not. That is Chief Edmunds.

UNIDENTIIFIED MALE: Was there a group of people searching in that area?

HAWKINS: It was one of the organized groups.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has Brennan been able to talk to his parents.

HAWKINS: As we understand is, he is. He's in good condition at -- very excellent condition for what he's gone through and he's talking with his mom and dad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he say anything about what happened?

HAWKINS: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk about your range of emotions, Bob. HAWKINS: It's just a rollercoaster all week: Up and down, up and down. This makes it all worth while. I haven't shaved or showered in a week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How down was that rollercoaster before you got this news today? It's been five days.

HAWKINS: As with all of the family, you want to be out, you want to be effective, you want to be searching, you want to be hunting and you want to do that 24 hours a day. Then, after so many days, it all catches up with you and so there are some tough downs and highs a bit more pronounce. But other than that -- we're not even going to worry about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bob, what would you say to those rescuers who found him?

HAWKINS: How do you thank somebody? I mean, we've been thanking people all week. We just don't know how to make it so sincere that it's not coming off cheesy or insincere -- I don't know. How do we make it -- they know how much we appreciate them.

Guys, that's all I got. Sheriff Edmunds, -- I will be here on- site for a while. I will keep trying to give you information as I get it. They're not -- at this point, they're not telling us an awful lot and it really is Chief Edmunds's thunder, his effort, everything. He needs to be able to do that. I will try to keep you updated when I know stuff, but I'm not getting much. OK?

Thank you all very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. That was the first statement that we have heard from family members of Brennan Hawkins, who has been missing since last Friday evening and was found within the last few hours here in the mountains of Utah. He is OK. He is doing well.

Bob Hawkins, his uncle, saying that Brennan is doing very well, saying that his parents and his family -- his brothers and sisters, his sister, specifically, is with him. His father was out in the field searching, as he has been since he found his son was missing, when he heard the news. His mother -- Brennan's mother was encouraging volunteers when she heard the news.

We also heard from Brennan's grandparents, they were -- they are the parents of Jody Hawkins, Dan and Coralee (ph) Minors, thanking volunteers and one person that they also thanked, Keith, is the father of Garrett Bardsley, the young man who was reported missing less than a year ago in this same region, who has never been found and has been presumed dead. His father was up here early Saturday morning and hasn't left and has provided a lot of support to this family.

KLAAS: And if anything, his support, Kevin Bardsley's presence here, was symbolic. To show up here and not really very long after that his son was lost and never found, presumed dead. They had a memorial service, I believe, in November for Garrett Bardsley. I think that really was a symbol that the community, the larger community around here, was working hard to really help out and I want to point out another thank you which is one that you and I don't, perhaps, hear so much, is to the news media.

And I think when you cover stories like this, you do understand an important fact which is: When there is a lot of media coverage, it does help bring volunteers. It add attention so we'd like to get the thank you, but more important, I think, they way we would see it, is that it's really important to cover stories like this so that you really can help in some way.

ROWLANDS: And again, the impact of the Bardsley family helps with the news media management and they had us corralled, they gave us updates and they encouraged stories to be told about this and this all has to with other parents, who have gone through this and have lost children, getting involved.

Mark Klaas, Adam Walsh's father, of course who is -- done so much work to try to get awareness out. John Walsh, whenever there's a missing child, -- and in this case it was a local family that came out and helped not only deal with the family, but tell them: Hey, this is what you need to do. X, Y, and Z. We've done it, we've been through it. Get the media out here, get the volunteers out here, stay focused, stay hopeful. It's -- keep searching, and they did that and what an amazing end to this story.

KLAAS: You know, they really didn't say that much during that news conference that we didn't basically already know or had heard of. But if they conveyed one thing that stood out in my mind, especially from the grandparents, but also from the Bob Hawkins, the uncle, was just this enormous sense of relief. You know, if you're a parent, which, you know, I am, and you know, if you are in a mall and you can't find your kid for 15 seconds, you know, there's a sort of automatic panic that takes over. Where is he, or where is she? If it's longer than that, it gets progressively worse.

Imagine how this family felt after four days in this area, not being able to find their son. I think the emotions have to be extremely difficult to be able to keep it up, to still try to rally troops and keep up the energy and believe there's a possibility that the lost child can be found. And that's what these folks did. So their emotion, I think, when you think of it in those terms, is understandable and well-deserved, to feel that relief.

ROWLANDS: Yes, a roller coaster that no parent wants to go through. They said that the worst time for them was at nighttime. They could search during the day, but they said they hated the moon, because they sat and thought about what their little 11-year-old was going through. And you know, it's amazing to think of what the parents have gone through and what this little boy has gone through. And it is has turned out to be a wonderful ending.

KLAAS: It's hard to know whether or not, you know, we'll hear from Brennan Hawkins at some point. It's understandable that the family might be protective of him for some time, especially given the concerns about his medical condition. But when the moon was up, it was cold out here out night. What do you think the temperatures were in the last couple of nights?

ROWLANDS: Coolest night was last night. It dipped into the low 30s. It has been a full moon. Full moon last night and almost full the preceding night. So there has been a light out, which hopefully comforted him, sitting out there.

KLAAS: Right, because we're in the -- you know, we're right around the summer solstice here. But at the same time, he could not have had the warm clothes that he would have needed late at night.

ROWLANDS: Last seen in shorts. He was wearing -- he was rock climbing at a Boy Scout camp with a sweatshirt, nylon shorts and tennis shoes, obviously not prepared for what he had to endure, but he endured it, and is doing well, according to the family members. Brennan Hawkins on his way, with his family, to the hospital, doing well. And an amazing ending to this story.

NGUYEN: No doubt about it. And boy, does he have a story to tell. Thank you, Ted. And we are still standing by, waiting for Sheriff Edmunds to brief us about exactly the circumstances surrounding these searchers finding 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins after he's been missing since Friday.

One of the organized search groups, we understand, from family members who spoke moments ago, is the group that actually found Brennan some five miles away, near this Lily Lake. And he is being taken to the hospital right now to be checked out for any injuries.

We have on the phone right now Kay Godfrey with the Greater Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts to talk about this situation. Kay, you have to be relieved, so relieved at this point.

KAY GODFREY, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA: Well, I'm walking on air. You can't believe what a relief it is to have this young man found alive.

NGUYEN: And do you know anymore about the circumstances of how he was found?

GODFREY: All I can tell you that I'm absolutely confident on is that a couple of volunteer searchers -- and that in and of itself is a wonderful story, with the thousands that have been up looking for him over the last three or four days -- to have a couple of volunteers find him is just icing on the cake. But I understand he's alert, in relatively decent shape, and has been light-flighted to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. Probably arriving there about now.

NGUYEN: And it is truly remarkable, because I know in the beginning of this search, there was some concern that he did not have all the survival skills needed to make it, especially this long. Also, there was concern that he's a shy little boy and he may not be willing to reach out to someone and ask for help or yell for help. But help found him. And this is quite a remarkable story. What does it say about these searchers and the way that they went about searching in this grid and finding him? Is this a picture perfect scenario of how it needs to be done?

GODFREY: It sure is. I think the way it was choreographed and laid out was absolutely phenomenal. And everybody involved, from -- I mean, we had multiple state involvement in this. Folks calling me from Connecticut and Alabama wanting to bring pack mules out and go into the backwoods. I mean, the outpouring of volunteerism was just phenomenal. Just phenomenal.

NGUYEN: Well, there's a whole lot of relief there, I think not only for the folks involved, but for people watching and praying hoping...

GODFREY: Yep.

NGUYEN: That he would be found alive. So what happens now? We understand that he is doing OK. Is that what you have heard, that he doesn't have any serious injuries?

GODFREY: That's what we heard, that that's the case. And I'd imagine they'll give them some space and work with the boy and get him squared away. And then we're all very, very anxious to hear about his ordeal and how he survived it and what went on. From a professional scouting standpoint and a standpoint of ensuring a best safety net possible for our youth, we're anxious to hear about it and hear what happened and see what can be done to ensure these kinds of things don't happen in the future.

NGUYEN: Yes, there is a whole lot to be learned from his story.

GODFREY: There is.

NGUYEN: And we are all awaiting that. Have you had a moment to speak with his family?

GODFREY: I have not. In fact, I understand they're going to be doing a press conference here shortly. Be anxious to hear from them. I can't imagine the relief and joy they must be experiencing. Because, you know, after four days, it gets a little glim (ph), it gets a little hopeless and very depressing. So it's been a wonderful transition here.

NGUYEN: But his family held on to hope and today, Brennan Hawkins, 11-year-old Cub Scout, has been found alive. Kay, we appreciate your time.

GODFREY: I appreciate you. Thanks so much.

NGUYEN: And we understand that Sheriff Edmunds is with the family right now, as well as with Brennan, who is with his family, headed to the hospital if they aren't already there, to be checked out, to see if he has any injuries from this ordeal that he has survived. And when he does speak to reporters, we will be taking that live.

But in the meantime, we do have some sound from friends of the little boy's father. Here's what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't be here anywhere else. I tried to explain it to him last night. And it's just impossible to try to describe your feelings at this moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you spoken with Toby since he got this word and ran off?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But how -- knowing that Brennan is safe, that the family is with them, what are you guys feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just happy for them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Overwhelming joy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They deserve it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So now what's the plan for you two?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're cleanup crew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clean up and go home to our families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Thank you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you guys for getting the news out and getting people out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A lot of tired and weary search crews just ready to get home, but no doubt so very relieved at the ending to this search. It happened on Friday. There was a lot of hope that he would be found alive, but as the days went by, that hope did start fade for many folks. But luckily, little Brennan Hawkins, 11-year-old Cub Scout, has been found today.

We're looking for more information about exactly what happened, how far away he was from that camp site where he was found. We also we want to know his situation, is he injured in any way. And really, how did he survive. That's one of the biggest questions that we're hoping to find out.

You're looking right now at a live picture of this sight that has been set up right now, this podium set up for the sheriff, who's going to be talking about what exactly he found today, what he discovered. His name is Sheriff David Edmunds. Let's take a listen to what he has to say. SHERIFF DAVE EDMUNDS, SUMMIT COUNTY, UTAH: I know you've already heard and you've heard from the family, we did find him. Unbelievable, the condition that Brennan was in. He was a little dehydrated, a little weak, but other than that, he was in very good health. He's currently being taken down to Primary Children's, where they're going to give him the once-over, I'm sure.

But his family is with him and just a lot of exuberance down there. You know, everything came together on this. We're very pleased with the volunteers that came out here and helped us and the search and rescue operators throughout the state that came to help us.

Just to give you a little bit of information, we don't have a lot to report, but a little bit. Some of it anecdotal. When they found him, he said he had seen the horses before and he was scared to approach them. And he was in the -- very disoriented, obviously. And he didn't know what to do. He hadn't had anything to drink. We specifically asked him about that. Hadn't had much to drink at all.

As soon as they got there, he ate all of the food that they had on them, all the granola bars and everything. Obviously, extremely hungry. Downed a bunch of water. Just great to see that happen. And the searchers were beside themselves with joy by the time I got up there.

He immediately wanted -- after he got a couple of drinks and water and some food, he immediately wanted to play a video game on one of the searcher's cell phones. So, obviously, not in too bad of shape at all. SO we're all very pleased and very happy.

I don't have a whole lot more than that, but if -- I'll entertain any quick questions. Real quick.

QUESTION: Who made the contact? Was it the boy to them or them to the boy?

EDMUNDS: No, they -- he was not far off a trail. Basically, he was found due west of here. And he did actually traverse that ridge, somehow, some way.

QUESTION: And crossed the river?

EDMUNDS: No, he didn't cross the river. He was -- he never did cross the river. He was found due west of here. He was that side of the river when he was lost and he just went straight up that ridge, it appears.

QUESTION: What I'm asking is, did he call for attention or did they spot him?

EDMUNDS: You know, in all of the exuberance, I don't know that we actually got that. I think more than anything it was the guys on four-wheelers that saw him. I don't know if he called out or not. I -- I didn't get that information.

QUESTION: Did he say what had happened? EDMUNDS: You know, he didn't talk much at all. He just wanted something to eat. He wanted some water. And, obviously, in the next couple of days to the next couple of weeks, we're going to sit down with him and chat with him and ask him what exactly happened, but he was in no mood to give us a lot of details. He just wanted something to eat and wanted to see his mom.

QUESTION: Sheriff, can you clarify whether he was...

EDMUNDS: One second.

QUESTION: How far is it? How...

EDMUNDS: Well, the exact distance I don't know. I'll be able to tell you. We have the coordinates right there. But, you know, he walked a good distance. It's -- suffice it to say, it was several miles.

QUESTION: How did he survive?

EDMUNDS: You know, the weather has held, and I've said that from the onset. If the weather hadn't been so good, I don't know if it would have been as positive as it has been. We were very fortunate in the weather. And, you know, if it would have got much colder, this could have been a tragedy.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

EDMUNDS: Yes, it is. It is. It's so nice to find him. I mean, you know, when you make the finds, it just -- you forget about all the terrible things that have happened over the last few days, and all of the demoralized attitudes and the things that have gone on. But, I'll tell you, you know, everyone that went into the woods believed they were going to make a find, both the volunteers and the search-and- rescue operators, and they always do it. And this is a testament to them, and their diligence, and their faith in getting out there and doing -- and even when it seems dismal. Even when it seems like there's not going to be a find, these people show up. They neglect their own families. They neglect their jobs. They drop everything and they come out here and they do what they're trained to do

QUESTION: Was he by Lily Lake?

EDMUNDS: He was, just south of Lily Lake.

QUESTION: What was he doing? Was he sitting? Was he standing? How did...

EDMUNDS: I don't -- I don't know. They didn't give me any of that. I would've loved to have gotten all of that. But, I'm sure information will be forthcoming. I don't know if he was sitting, standing, or what he was doing. He was extremely thirsty and hungry. We know that for certain.

(CROSSTALK) EDMUNDS: Now, he was not soaking wet. I don't know where they got that. He was not soaking wet. He did not look like he had been in the water at all.

QUESTION: As far as you know, he was wearing just shorts and a t-shirt?

EDMUNDS: Yes, he was wearing what he went missing in.

QUESTION: Have you seen him?

EDMUNDS: Yes, oh yes, I was up there.

QUESTION: So, what was the reunion like with their family, the mom?

EDMUNDS: Oh, it was -- it was unbelievable. It was something to see. It's one of the most touching moments I think I've ever seen in my life. You know, the mom and dad, they -- obviously, they had prepared themselves for the worst and then they found their son to be alive. I'm sure that's a feeling none of us could imagine unless we had gone through it ourselves. So, it was something to witness.

QUESTION: Was he taken by helicopter or ambulance to the hospital?

EDMUNDS: No, he was not. He's in good enough condition that he didn't need to be helicoptered down to the city. He's with his family. They all piled in the ambulance with him, which was appropriate, and they're taking him down via ambulance.

QUESTION: And where are they taking him?

EDMUNDS: They're taking him down to Primary Children's. I think it's, more than anything, just a precautionary measure. I'm not a doctor, but -- obviously -- but he looked like he was in excellent shape to me.

QUESTION: Where is that hospital?

EDMUNDS: Salt Lake.

QUESTION: What was your reaction when you saw him?

EDMUNDS: You know, I was numb to it, you know, I think, as all the searchers were. We just kind of stood there for a minute and couldn't believe our eyes. We had all pretty much prepared ourselves for the worst. We've had too many that have gone bad in the last few years and this is kind of a redeeming search for us and the folks that were involved in this, so, just a lot of joy and exuberance.

QUESTION: Is there anything about the strategy that you used that you think is a lesson to be learned from this, the way that you went about the search, and where you looked?

EDMUNDS: Well, you know, we didn't do anything different on this search than we've done in the past. Again, there was some -- there was luck on our side. And Mother Nature certainly cooperated, and I really attribute that more than anything else to him still being alive -- is that Mother Nature was good to us. The searchers, obviously, their due diligence and them getting out there, big, huge, can never -- we can't talk enough about what they did, but the weather, more than anything else. We didn't do anything different. We didn't do anything different in this search than we'd done in the searches in the past.

QUESTION: So, this is just west -- where he was found -- west of Boy Scout camp?

EDMUNDS: Yep.

QUESTION: Several miles and over this mountain?

EDMUNDS: Over the ridge. Yep, over the ridge. At some point he traversed that ridge. I don't know when it was. I don't know if it was the first night, second night. I don't know when, but at some point, he crossed that mountain, which seems unbelievable to me, and certainly, well outside the parameters that we initially set. It just -- it really blows all of the statistical data that we know out of the water, and it speaks volumes about finding the place-last-seen, and then expanding out from there, and that's exactly what's been done here, obviously with much help from the volunteers that came in. But, we started where we last knew he was, and we just expanded from there, and it's taken this much time to go into some of these lower probability areas. Obviously, at the on-set of this search, that's an extremely low-probability area.

QUESTION: Had searchers been to Lily Lake before (INAUDIBLE)?

EDMUNDS: You know, not necessarily in the area where he was found, but in the vicinity, yes, and again, I'm going to be very interested to hear when and where he saw the horses and was afraid to approach them (ph). I don't know if that was yesterday or today. I'm assuming it was today, but, it's going to be interesting to hear about the information that I'm sure he'll tell us in the future.

QUESTION: You know the Bardsley's family has been a huge support of this. What was their reaction when they heard the news?

EDMUNDS: You know, I haven't talked to the Bardsley's. Obviously, my heart goes out to them. You know, as happy as I am for the Hawkins family, you know, this brings back a lot of wounds from the Bardsley search, and you know, my deepest sympathies still go out to them, and it's hard to talk about that, quite frankly.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

EDMUNDS: Difficult to say. Several hundred volunteers were here, as well as a large number of search-and-rescue operators, so there were -- I think a good estimate would be about 500 people, all told, today.

QUESTION: Do you know if Brennan said anything about what led him to stray?

EDMUNDS: No, he hasn't. We started to prod him about that, some of the searchers did, and he just didn't want to talk about it.

QUESTION: Did he say why he didn't just stay put?

EDMUNDS: No, he didn't. He just did not want to talk about any of that. He wanted food, water, and his mom, which I think any 11- year-old boy would want.

QUESTION: And, I'm sorry, sheriff -- these were some of the volunteers who found him, or some of the...

EDMUNDS: Yes, it was actually some of the volunteers that made the initial find.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) or professional?

EDMUNDS: I don't know for sure. What's that?

QUESTION: Was it a citizen or one of the professionals?

EDMUNDS: No, it was one of the volunteer searchers that came up. I believe the individual -- he not want to be named. He doesn't consider himself a hero. I begged him to come down to the news conference with me and talk, but he absolutely said he wasn't going to do that. He did not want to be identified as a hero. He doesn't see himself as a hero, but I see him as a hero and I think the Hawkins family does, as well.

QUESTION: But he's certainly emblematic of all of those volunteers who were out there.

EDMUNDS: Amen. Amen. You know, he, you know, typifies the attitude and the can-do attitude of these folks that went out there, dropped everything and went into the woods. So, absolutely, I have nothing but good to say about those people.

QUESTION: Was he on his own, or was it a group?

EDMUNDS: No, he was on his own. He was on his own. There was two of them. There were two of them on four-wheelers.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) in light of the fact it looks like nasty weather is finally starting to roll in.

EDMUNDS: Yes, nasty weather is coming in. I knew that there was going to be some precipitation today and I was very concerned about that. You know, again, it couldn't have been at a better time. Obviously, very fortuitous for young Brennan and for us, as well. It looks like there may be rain before the day is over and that would have been devastating to the search had he gotten wet and then it got cold again tonight.

So, I think it's safe to say that if the rain would have come tonight and it would have got as cold as it did last night, this could have been a tragedy.

Reporter: Did you say anything about the timing of this? It's two guys on a horseback sometime this morning. When did it actually -- when was the find?

EDMUNDS: It was just about noon. It was right near there, and then we scrambled to get medical personnel up there. That's -- the medical helicopter that you saw. We did everything that we could to get medical -- we didn't know what his condition was for sure, and we were getting sketchy information, so we wanted to get paramedics up there as quickly as possible because we didn't know for sure what kind of condition he was in. Fortunate for everybody involved, he was in great condition.

QUESTION: You said they found him on an ATV?

EDMUNDS: Yes, they were on four-wheelers.

QUESTION: How close to the lake was he?

EDMUNDS: It was just about a mile-and-a-half south of Lily Lake is where we found him.

All right?

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

EDMUNDS: Yes, very wooded area. Extremely -- in fact, there were a lot of burnt timber, much like you see up on the ridge here. The fire a couple of years ago went down this ridge and then down into that area. Very thick forested area, but a lot of burned out timber, and again, you know, a thick area. From the air, very difficult to see anybody on the ground, and you know, you really had to walk up on him like we did. So, very positive.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

NGUYEN: You've been listening to Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds talk about the finding of Brennan Hawkins, this 11-year-old Cub Scout who went missing on Friday. Today, they found him in an area -- actually, he had to climb over a hill. This is part of the information that I found very interesting. We knew that he was found alive. We knew that he was in fairly good condition, although he was very hungry. He was very tired. The sheriff said that he ate all the granola bars and drank all the water provided to him when they found him and that he was in good spirits because he wanted to play one of the searcher's video games, of all things. So, he's still an 11-year- old kid despite what he's been through.

But, what was so interesting to me was that he was not very far off the trail. He did not go near the river, apparently, according to the sheriff, because it didn't look like -- that he had gone into the water at all, but what was quite amazing is that he was able climb this ridge and, Ted Rowlands, we're going to bring you in now, because you can kind of set the scene so we realize how large of an area this is, and what it would've taken for a little boy, an 11-year-old boy to climb this ridge.

ROWLANDS: Yes, well, wait till you see it. It's right over to the side here. This is -- it's an amazing size of a ridge. I mean, we're talking about a huge ridge where, the sheriff said, this was a low-probability area. They sort of saved this one to search in because of the size of this ridge. I mean the odds of an 11-year-old boy getting lost, continuing to walk and then walking over a ridge this size made it a low probability area.

They did get to it because they did continue this search, and they eventually found him. He said that Brennan had heard and seen the horses there before. He was found by volunteers that were searching on horseback. He said he had seen the horses before, but he was afraid to approach the searchers and the rescuers. And this is something that his family actually said that he is a very shy boy. And that's something that they were worried about. They said that he would be too shy to approach a stranger if he was lost. And they said that that's why they wanted to keep looking for him and keeping being proactive because they were afraid, and they knew their son, that he might not be able to go up to a stranger and say, I'm lost. And indeed, that I guess was the scenario. He did not approach the horseback rescuers the first time around, but then he was found here at about noon Pacific Time -- or noon Mountain Time today on Tuesday. He was reported missing Friday night at about 5:30 p.m. And he has been able to survive -- and not only survive, but survive in good health. As you heard, he is now at a Salt Lake City hospital with his family being looked over. But he is alive and he is well. And he will have quite a story to tell. And this is quite a story and quite an ending. A wonderful ending to what could have been such a horrific tragic story. They continued to look for him, and today, they found Brennan Hawkins.

NGUYEN: It's and ending we don't hear very often, but boy, are we relieved to hear that this little boy has been found alive and well today. And as you mentioned, he does have quite a story to tell, and I'm sure we will hear more of that in the coming days.

Ted Rowland, thank you for your time today. I know we'll be talking with you throughout the rest of today, as well.

We're going to take a short break. You want to stay with us because we have much more on the rescue of 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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