Teen Girls Found Safe In Algonquin Park After Extensive Search

The two missing teenagers last seen in Algonquin Park have been found safe, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirmed Monday at noon. 

Earlier, the OPP had said a “major search” was underway for Maya Mirota and Marta Malek, who were missing since the morning of July 11. The 16-year-old girls were reported missing last Friday at around 10 p.m. ET.

“The girls had been supposed to rendezvous with the rest of their group that day. When they failed to arrive at the meeting point, the OPP was contacted,” police said in a news release. 

Multiple media outlets reported the girls were on a group camping trip when they went missing. 

Provincial police had dispatched members of the OPP Emergency Response Team, front-line officers and canine units to help with the search. They are joined by park wardens and members of the Ontario Search and Rescue Association , authorities say. 

An OPP helicopter and a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests floatplane were assisting, as well.

The teens from the Kitchener, Ont., area were travelling on the Western Uplands Trail between Rainbow Lake and Susan Lake in the southeastern Ontario provincial park, according to police.

“They did have a tent, other camping equipment and limited supplies,” the OPP said.

A Facebook group dedicated to finding the missing teens was created Sunday, but volunteers were asked to avoid the area. Police say having more people involved in the search “could hinder potential tracking efforts by the dogs and increase the possibility of someone else getting lost.”

Mirota was described as being around five feet tall with a thin build and long auburn hair, while Malek is believed to be around six feet tall with an average build, shoulder length dirty blond hair and glasses.

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