Two young girls found safe after night lost in bushland near Orange

Two seven-year-old girls have been found safe and well, after spending last night missing from a campsite in the Ophir Reserve, about 25km north of Orange.

Best friends Rihanna Stance and Marley Aplin were bushwalking yesterday afternoon when they became lost in the thick scrub of Ophir Reserve.

The girls had reportedly been enjoying camping with family earlier in the afternoon when they lost their bearings.

As night began to set in, the girls’ family became increasingly concerned.

Rihanna and Marley, meanwhile, set up a makeshift bed of sand and leaves as temperatures plummeted to one degree.

The Aplin family alerted the police at around 6pm last night when they were able to find mobile phone coverage in the remote area.

An SES-flood boat and POLAIR were deployed in the search, scouring the thick vegetation and fast flowing river of the reserve.

Four volunteers reportedly located the girls by a riverbank around 11.15am today, 2 kilometres away from their campsite.

Rihanna and Marley were taken to Orange Base Hospital this morning with minor cuts and scrapes for medical assessment.

Police thanked SES crews, Fire and Rescue officers and local community members for their assistance in the search.