One of the two convicts who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York has just celebrated his 35th birthday last Sunday, marking the ninth day that the two men have effectively evaded law enforcement.

David Sweat, the younger one of the two convicted killers who escaped from the maximum security prison, was able to enjoy the taste of freedom during his birthday, despite the continuing efforts of authorities to track down the elusive pair, according to Reuters.

More than 800 law enforcement officers have already been mobilized, as the search pushed ahead toward the dense woodland east of the Adirondack Mountains. However, significant parts of the search have focused close to the highway that leads from Dannemora to Plattsburgh, reports Yahoo! News.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated that the search has been quite ineffective thus far, with the two men successfully evading capture for days.

"We don't know if they are still in the immediate area or if they are in Mexico by now," he said.

He further states that while recapturing the men and putting them behind bars again is still the top priority, law enforcement should start checking on the circumstances that led to the two men escaping, according to Reuters.

Despite the lack of leads however, New York State Police spokesman Beau Duffy believes that not all the developments have been discouraging.

"We don't have any evidence that they've left the area," he said.