Shoeless Hiker Helps Rescue Lost Friends, Who Were Found 'Severely Hypothermic and Unable to Walk'

After spending the night stranded, a shoeless hiker found help, telling a homeowner "that his friends were still lost in the woods and weren't doing well”

A group of missing hikers who got lost in a bog and spent the night in the woods in Maine were rescued over the weekend after one of them made a shoeless trek to find help.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said in a news release obtained by PEOPLE that Joseph Caroto, 48, Stacey Gain, 55, and another friend, who was not identified, were on a hike off of Mills Street in Steep Falls “when they got turned around and could not find their way back."

As a result, the three hikers had to spend the night outside.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Authorities said that the third person in the group hiked out on Sunday morning and "wandered to a house, shoeless and cold, and told the homeowner that his friends were still lost in the woods and weren't doing well.”

Related: Couple Camping in California Wilderness Find Lost Man Who Survived for Weeks on Half Jar of Salsa

Why that person went shoeless is not known to officials, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesperson Mark Latti told Backpacker. However, the official went on to note that the decision "could certainly be a symptom of hypothermia."

"Obviously you don’t reason very well once hypothermia starts to set in and sometimes it goes along with that panic when you realize you’re lost and you might not get help," Latti added.

After the third hiker alerted authorities, the K-9 units from Maine Warden Service and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office's K-9 units searched a bog in the area, per the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife news release.

Related: ‘Unprepared’ Hiker Wearing ‘Only a Cotton Hoodie’ Rescued from Mountain During 'Severe' Snowstorm

Around Sunday afternoon, a K-9 picked up a scent, leading authorities to find Caroto and Gain, who were described as "severely hypothermic and unable to walk."

The department noted that the game wardens started a fire to warm up the hikers and and offered them food and drink. Because the stranded hikers were unable to walk, responders had to carry them out of the woods via a stretcher.

Related: 6 Rescued After Hiker Loses Consciousness While Climbing Infamous Trail on Maine Mountain

The temperature was in the low 30s in the area where the hikers were found, although there was no snow on the ground, which Latti said "can be a bad thing."

“Once someone gets wet and they’re not wearing the proper clothing, hypothermia can set in that much quicker," the official told Backpacker.

The rescued hikers were taken to a hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, the department said.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.