According to relatives, the two hikers who went missing Friday while hiking the Sipsey Wilderness of the Bankhead Forest have been discovered and are safe. Michelle Pendelton and her friend Shannon Ladnier became lost while hiking to visit The Big Tree in the Sipsey Wilderness on Friday, November 15. They left around 9:30 a.m. according to a family member.

Later that same day around 4:30 p.m., Michelle and Shannon called the sheriff’s department from a cell phone to say they were lost. The sheriff’s department told them to stay put. It’s not clear if Michelle and Shannon ever made it to The Big Tree. The Sipsey Big Tree is an 8.5 mile trail near Haleyville.

A search party went to their last known location Saturday morning but couldn’t locate either woman. There was no contact with them since Saturday night.

Family members and the sheriff’s department were in the woods searching for the women until they were discovered on Sunday.