Michigan woman found by drone cameras after she was lost in woods for three days
A woman who was lost for three days in the woods of West Michigan was located through the work of the Mason County Sheriff's Office Drone Unit.
The overhead drone search began around 2 p.m. Sunday, after a report was called in of a burned vehicle near Countyline Road and Morton Road in Mason County's Grant Township, the sheriff's office said. The vehicle matched that of a missing person report over Nancy Bloomquist, age 74, of Norton Shores, that was filed with the Norton Shores Police Department.
Bloomquist was last known to have traveled to the Little River Casino, where surveillance video took an image of her driving off about 5:30 p.m. Thursday southbound on US-31. She had not been heard from or seen since, the Norton Shores police report said.
With the new detail of her vehicle found, officers started a search at and near that location. Agencies working on that task included the Mason County Sheriff's office and its drone unit, Norton Shores Police, Little River Tribal Police and Manistee County Sheriff's Office.
A drone located the woman at 7:08 p.m. She was lying next to a downed tree, in a heavily wooded area about 150 yards from her vehicle.
"She was found alive and was talking with deputies at the scene," the report said.
As deputies pieced together details from the surveillance video, a trail camera at a nearby home and interviews on the case, the woman had left Little River Casino on Thursday and was expected to return to Norton Shores. But she became lost and ended up along a driveway to a seasonal home.
She tried to turn around, but the car became disabled and caught fire.
The victim got herself out of the vehicle and walked off, but she realized she forgot her cell phone. As she tried to get back to the wreckage, she became lost.
During Thursday night's rain, she sought shelter near a downed tree and became cold to the point where she could not get back on her feet Friday.
"She remained lying on the ground until found Sunday evening," the report said.
The Mason County Sheriff's Office purchased its first drone in 2015 with the help of a citizen's donation. The department now has three drones, the equipment purchased with funding provided by Mason County Board of Commissioners and grants. There is also a team of deputies trained on how to use the flying drones.
Recent updates to the drone equipment include internet access via Starlink satellites.
"With little to no cell phone service in that area, the drone team was able to access Starlink for connectivity to the drones," deputies explained.