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Gene Kennedy ReportingA scout leader doesn't show up for breakfast and it causes an extensive search in the mountains in Payson. Seventy searchers tried to find 20-year-old Logan Manning yesterday. But it turns out he didn't need to be found.
It ended when Manning called his mom around nine o'clock last night from somewhere in Utah Valley. He asked her to pick him up. It's a strange but safe conclusion after the scout leader didn't show up for breakfast at Maple Dell campground in Payson.
So why did he go missing in the first place? His family isn't saying, only that Manning had been dealing with some personal issues. They also said it's not unusual for their son to hike around 4 a.m.
But he didn't tell anyone about going on a hike. And when Manning didn't show up at the meal tent yesterday, the concern was maybe he was injured or stranded somewhere.
So 70 searchers spent the day looking for him. But then, around nine o'clock last night, he called his mom to pick him up. We still don't know where he was found but a lot of people were grateful Manning found his family.
John Gailey, Utah Nat'l Parks Council: "They have at least communicated with him. We don't know exactly how far that has gone,but they let us know he has been in contact with them and that he is off the mountain."
Sgt. Tom Hodgson, Utah County Sheriff's Office: "I'm sure we'll follow up with the family and find out, you know, what the situation was. Obviously from the Sheriff's office and Search and Rescue perspective we're happy for Logan and his family that he is safe. That is the most important thing, that he's safe and we get our people back safely as well."
So many questions still remain unanswered, like whether Manning even knew he was considered missing and that people were looking for him.
Hopefully, he'll explain more about what happened later today.
