Breaking (really) Bad: Inept meth maker calls police in middle of night after getting lost in woods while 'looking for paranormal activity'

Inept meth makers on a mission to cook illegal drugs in a forest get separated after a row, end up calling police - and tell officers they were hunting for ghosts. No, it's not a spoiler for the final half series of Breaking Bad, but an actual thing that happened.

A trio of lost ghost hunters, who told police they had trekked deep into woods looking for paranormal activity, were in fact embarked on an ill-fated trip to cook up crystal meth, police have said.

According to a news release from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office their involvement in the incident began after Sonny Clay Hyatt, 39, of 303 Laurel Street in Hudson, called 911 in the middle of the night to say he was lost in woods off Goat Farm Road in the Baton community.

Police used GPS to locate him from his phone signal and bring him out of the woods and apart from being dehydrated and tired from the walk Mr Hyatt appeared to be fine.

However, police suspected all was not what it seemed and began questioning him over his reason for being in the woods with Thomas Glenn Imler Jr, 38, and Eric John Schmidt, 31.

Mr Hyatt said that he and his two friends had ventured into the woods in an attempt to see paranormal activity after hearing a number of spooky tales about the area. Mr Hyatt claimed that he had become separated from his friends and had ended up lost.

As he was talking to officers Mr Hyatt received a number of text messages telling him that his friends had found a lift back to his apartment.

After continued their interview police said Hyatt confessed that he and his friends had been using methamphetamine.

Police also ascertained that Mr Hyatt had been running a meth lab out of his apartment.

According to the police press release the three men had headed into the woods to cook the drugs, but being inexperienced had been unable to do it. An argument ensued and the three men went their separate ways, with Imler and Schmidt taking what remained of the portable meth making equipment.

Shortly afterwards Mr Wyatt got lost and rang the police.

The three suspects were charged with the manufacture of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine precursor chemicals and are being held on a $50,000 bond.

Caldwell Sheriff Alan C. Jones told the Hickory Record: “You hear every excuse imaginable.

These criminals would have us believe they were looking for paranormal activity in the woods at night and simply got lost. We didn’t fall for that story at all.”