Gimpel and Colepaugh made their way from the rocky beach to a local road, hiked to United States Route 1, and were fortunately able to flag a cab that was making its way to Bangor. The men were spotted twice while on foot in the Hancock Point area, with both observers noting with suspicion their city garb, suitcases, and lack of hats on the snowy night. Mary Forni, a local housewife, saw the pair walking together as she drove home from a card game. 17 year-old Harvard Hodgkins, a Boy Scout and son of local deputy sheriff Dana Hodgkins, also spotted the two men as he was driving home from a dance. The boy noticed that their footprints on the snowy ground originated from a path that led to the beach. The elder Hodgkins was away on a hunting trip, but by the time he returned, investigated the reports, and contacted the FBI, fully five days had elapsed.