Man Survives 16 Hours Lost In Northwestern Minn. Wilderness Thanks To His Dog
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man survived 16 hours in the wilderness with his dog after getting lost Sunday night in northwestern Minnesota.
The Hubbard County Sheriff's office says Philip Thorson, 67, of Becida, was walking through a wooded area near Lasalle Lake with his dog and a friend when he started feeling unwell.
His friend started a campfire before leaving Thorson to make the 2-mile trek back to a vehicle, but he returned to find Thorson and his dog gone.
A ground-and-air search was launched late Sunday night, and then paused at about 3 a.m. Monday, before resuming later in the morning. At about 1 p.m., searchers following fresh foot and paw tracks heard a dog bark, then found Thorson and his dog under a log.
Thorson told his rescuers that he fell into the Mississippi River at one point, and had to cuddle up with his dog overnight to keep warm. He suffered some minor frostbite in the ordeal.
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