Florida Boy Scouts rescued after being stranded overnight

EUSTIS, Florida (CNN) -- A troop of Boy Scouts reported missing Saturday night after leaving on a one-day canoe trip was rescued Sunday morning and was in "good spirits" after sleeping along a creek in central Florida, authorities said.

The 10 boys, ages 11-17, and two adults from the Palm Bay area on Florida's east coast were in good condition after being rescued by helicopter, said Lt. Cecil Garrett from the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

The troop was forced to set up camp after being stranded after dark by trees that had fallen across the creek and slowed their progress, Garrett said.

Deputies who had been trying to reach one of the troop members by cell phone finally were able to get through on Sunday, Garrett said.

"Got some food and drink down there now. Everyone is okay. A little damp, a little cold, a little tired," Garrett said. He said the group was picked up mid-morning east of Eustis, about a mile northwest of their destination.

They were reported missing about 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday, after they failed to arrive at a checkpoint three hours earlier.

The group started their expedition about 9 a.m. EST Saturday in Lake Norris in northeast Lake County. From there, they paddled to Blackwater Creek, where they found their way frequently blocked by trees that had fallen over because of the weather.

When night fell, the troop members -- some clad only in shorts and with no tents or other supplies to protect them from nighttime temperatures in the 40s -- were forced to set up camp, Garrett said. Helicopters sweeping the area were unable to spot them, he said.

"It turned into an all-night adventure," he said.