Hunt for Escaped Killers Focuses on Tiny New York Town After Possible Sighting

Law enforcement officials have descended on the small town of Friendship, New York, in search of two convicted murderers who escaped a maximum security prison two weeks ago.

Officials said Saturday that David Sweat and Richard Matt were possibly spotted along train tracks near Friendship in southern New York in Allegheny County. The area is about 350 miles from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, where the men escaped by cutting their way through lead pipes and reinforced walls and exiting through a nearby manhole.

On Sunday, search teams canvassed the areas around Friendship with both K-9 and aviation units. A woman reportedly sighted two men on Saturday near the train tracks as she drove by, according to the New York Times. One of the men had reddish hair matching the description of David Sweat, according to the woman. As she drove by, one of the men returned to the woods and the other pulled his hood over his head.

Related: New York Prison Worker Arrested for Allegedly Helping Killers Escape

Friendship resident Darryl Ross told the Leader, a local newspaper, that he secured his home after hearing the news that officials were searching the area.

"I was a little concerned, you have these guys running around, you don't know where they are, I have a house with a big cellar and a big garage," said Ross. "I cleared the house, I had firearm protection. They are home safe with me tonight."

James Blouvet, the town supervisor, said no one could even get into the town unless they had a local address, per the New York Times.

Prison worker Joyce Mitchell, 51, was arrested last week in connection with the prisoner's escape. She is accused of giving the men the tools that allowed them to escape.

Related: In Photos: Inside the NY Prison Where Two Inmates Made a 'Shawshank'-Style Escape

Both men are convicted murderers who were serving life sentences. Sweat, 35, was convicted of killing a sheriff's deputy. Matt, 48, was convicted of killing and dismembering his former boss in 1997.

On Friday, both men were added to the US Marshal's "Most Wanted" fugitive list. US Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton said in a statement that the list is for the "worst of the worst."

"There is no question David Sweat and Richard Matt fall into this category," said Hylton. "While their brazen prison escape has left the public on edge, it has only ignited our sheer determination to bring them back tojustice."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Gillian Mohney on Twitter: @gillianmohney