Two 4th grade students attending the Eufaula Public School’s after-school Beacon program walked away recently, disappearing for two hours.

McIntosh County Sheriff ’s Deputies located the vanishing students in the woods behind the school, unharmed.

Superintendent Monty Guthrie posted the following statement online about the incident: “On Thursday, April 18, 2024, during the afterschool BEACON Program, two 4th grade students walked off school grounds through an unlocked gate on the playground. Upon realizing the students could not be located, the school was locked down, and the site SRO (school resource officer) was notified.

“City and county law enforcement responded immediately. Both students were located on the county road immediately south of the elementary school by a McIntosh County Sheriff ’s Deputy.

“Eufaula Public Schools strives to provide a safe and secure environment for all students and staff. We value the trust placed in us by our parents with the utmost respect and will continue to evaluate our facilities, policies, and procedures in an effort to continually improve in all areas of our school.

“We appreciate the assistance of our local authorities and are eternally grateful these students were returned safely.

“We deeply regret this unfortunate incident and will use every precaution necessary to prevent it from occurring again.”