Missing Teen Found Alive: Nicholas Joy Builds Snow Fort, Survives Two Snowy Nights in Maine Wilderness, Gets Lost at Sugarloaf Ski Resort

Reports confirm that Nicholas Joy, a Massachusetts teen who went missing in the cold, snowy mountains of Maine On Sunday (March 3), was found alive and unharmed on Tuesday morning (March 5). While skiing at the popular Sugarloaf Mountain Resort over the weekend, 17-year-old Joy decided to separate from his father and take a shortcut through the wild backcountry. He soon found himself completely lost - a massive search and rescue party was launched after the teen failed to show up for the drive home later Sunday afternoon. Joy managed to survive out in the wild for two freezing cold nights by building a makeshift snow fort out of branches and by drinking water from a nearby stream. Following the rescue, Joy was promptly transported to the local Franklin Memorial Hospital in Framingham for treatment, but is expected to be fine.

A fun, relaxing family ski trip at Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain Resort almost turned deadly for young Joy - if it weren't for his instinctive survival skills. The Maine Warden Service reports that Joy was reported missing on Sunday after taking a separate ski trail down the mountain from his father. Search coordinator Lt. Kevin Adam said the father and son planned on meeting back up in the Sugarloaf parking lot for the drive home to Medford, MA later that afternoon, but Nicholas never showed. The Warden Service, Sugarloaf ski patrol, and several other volunteer rescue teams then launched a massive search and rescue on skis, snowshoes, and snowmobiles.

Finally on Tuesday at around 9 a.m., passing snowmobiler Joel Paul (not a member of the original search and rescue team), found Joy huddled up in a snow cave on Caribou Pond Road on the west side of the mountain. 

When Paul discovered the missing teen he said, "A lot of people are looking for you." Joy allegedly answered with, "I bet. I've been out here for two nights."

Paul went on to explain Joy's condition and clever survival skills, as detailed by Adams - "The 17-year-old told his rescuer he drank from a stream and used hemlock branches in a shelter he built. The teenager also said he tried to light a fire by rubbing sticks together, but wasn't successful ... Paul said he gave the skier some peanuts and crackers to eat and called 911 before whisking him about 4 miles down a mountain trail to an ambulance."

According to Lt. Adam, Joy's parents Robert and Donna Joy were thrilled to hear that their missing son was found safe and sound - "There is great relief and happiness that Nicholas has made it through this difficult ordeal... [Joy] did the right thing in building a snow cave, and obviously he's still alive to talk about it, so he made some good decisions... [He was found in] remarkably good shape."

Adams confirms that two or three groups of skiers have already disappeared this year at Sugarloaf. When his wardens respond, they usually find missing skiers in out-of-bound areas.