Members of the OPP emergency response team found 15 missing students near a cabin by the Bruce Trail between 5:30 a.m. and 5:50 a.m. Friday morning.
The teens, ages 16-17, from the Saint David Catholic Secondary School in Waterloo, were separated from a larger group in Bruce Peninsula around 5 p.m. Thursday.
They were part of a field trip for an Algonquin hiking experience, with an emphasis on survival and outback camping.
The OPP were called, and spent the night searching, after attempts to locate the youths were unsuccessful.
Police say they were found in good condition, but cold. They were returned to their fellow hikers by emergency workers.
Officials with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board say they’ll investigate what caused the group to get separated and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.
“Something went awry and we want to make sure that we mitigate that,” said board superintendent Dave DeSantis.
OPP are reminding hikers that the Bruce Peninsula is one of the last true wilderness areas in southern Ontario, with limited cellphone coverage and next-to-nil vision once the sun has set.
Students on the trip were not allowed to carry cellphones as part of the wilderness survival element of the hike.
With files from CTV Kitchener's David Imrie.
