Keeping Hope Alive
Everyone tried to keep up their spirits and assume nothing about Austin. He had been in the outdoors and had enjoyed the trails in the Smoky Mountains, so he had probably been able to survive that long without assistance from others.
Ranger Speaks
The Chief Park Ranger was encouraged. He knew that nothing bad had happened in the wilderness, and he claimed that the boy’s age was on his side. Plus, there was plenty of fresh water throughout the national park. However, he’d been gone for a while!