Michigan authorities have Mother Nature to thank for helping to find a missing man. Fortunately, they were able to use the man's footprints in the snow to track him down safely.
The man disappeared after getting into a car crash, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened on January 3 in Porter Township. Authorities arrived at the scene only to find a wrecked car and a missing driver. This comes after a call to the police. The caller said that the man approached their home and said that he had experienced some car-related issues.
He told the homeowner that he was going to attempt to walk to a friend's house in the snow. Fortunately, deputies found footprints in the snow. It eventually led them into the woods and near a swamp. That's when they found their missing man.
Footprints In The Snow Lead To Missing Man
"Deputies eventually located the subject, a 64-year-old Lawton man, who was unresponsive and lying on the ground under some brush," read the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office's news release. "Upon making physical contact with him, they were able to get him to respond and become more coherent. His clothing was wet and starting to freeze and he advised that he could not feel his legs."
According to deputies, the man had crashed his car. He attempted to navigate on foot but soon became lost and disoriented. Feeling tired, he decided to lay down. Authorities believe that he had signs of hypothermia. It's a good thing they managed to locate the man in time. From there, they took him back to the road and called EMS.
Ultimately, EMS treated his condition.
"The weather at the time was around 20 degrees with occasional heavy snow and high winds," continued the news release. "If the Deputies had not located the footprints and followed them, it is likely that the subject would have succumbed to hypothermia in the edge of the swamp."
The sheriff's department advised drivers to always have an emergency kit during winter weather.
