Arizona brothers, 10 and 12, found safe after 8-hour desert search

Everyone's childhood often contains memories where they entered into some dangerous territories only to be saved by their parents. Often, when one is with their siblings or friends, they end up disregarding the path and are more focused on the company, which can sometimes lead them astray.

This is what happened with two young brothers who vanished into the Arizona desert, only to be rescued after a helicopter-assisted search.12-year-old Atom Ward and 10-year-old Jack Ward had vanished when they were playing outside. The officials received a call from a father on October 11, Sunday, reporting he couldn't find his two children who were playing outside, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said in an alert.

At the same time, officials began the search for the two brothers who were last seen by their dad leaving their home on foot in the 1000 block of Birdle Lane in Mohave Valley earlier that afternoon, just before 4 pm.He began tracking his children, including Jack, who happened to be barefoot, said the officials. The family also began searching the surrounding areas and contacting local businesses to determine if the boys had stopped by.

After rescue teams arrived, they began a "route and location search", the sheriff's office said. "Trackers confirmed the tracks being followed by the father were the kids' tracks and tracking teams continued following them," the department added.A rescue helicopter from the Arizona Department of Public Safety was dispatched from Phoenix while the Mohave County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue took over the trail, along with a K-9 Mano with the search and rescue team were aso deployed in the extensive search efforts.

By midnight, the little duo was found walking near Spirit Mountain Casino in Mohave Valley, over six miles from their home.“Family met them at that location and brought them back home,” officials said. “They were in good health and the 10-year-old child was still barefoot.”However, it still remains unclear why the children ventured away from home in the first place. For the family and rescuers, the end of the search was a moment to celebrate. “Great job by everyone!” the sheriff’s office said.