On Thursday, March 7 near midday, the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to a remote area near Paradise for a report of a missing person.
A man found his friend's vehicle stuck in the snow in the middle of a trail but could not find his friend.
The missing man was last seen on Tuesday. The weather warmed up, melted and froze the snow in the area several times leaving almost no evidence or tracks to follow.
The man was described as a 69-year-old who walked with a cane.
Deputy sheriffs, Michigan DNR and the United States Border Patrol scoured the area on ORVs, on foot, and the sheriff's office used a drone, but they were unable to find the man before dark.
As the search continued, additional information came in. Officials discovered the missing man had a pull behind sled with him, along with some camping gear, snowshoes and a sleeping bag. There were several structures in the area for him to use if he wanted.
Every shelter and camping spot on the property was searched with no evidence of the missing man.
Family and friends said the man has spent lots of time living off the grid in the past. However, this time the man's actions prior to his disappearance along with the fact he left his vehicle and didn't tell anyone what he was doing worried family and friends. Officials were told he wouldn't be found if he didn't want to be.
The Sheriff's Office, Search and Rescue, Bay Mills Police Department and a Sault Tribe Police Department K-9 unit spent the next day covering over 1,100 acres of the property.
UPDATE:
On the evening of Saturday March 9, an off-duty police officer came across the missing man walking down a trail not too far from the search area.
The man was cold, hungry and was having a hard time walking. He was given a ride to a restaurant in Paradise to get a hot meal and the sheriff's office was called out to met the man.
The man said he had spent the last two nights sleeping in the woods. He was surprised to find he had been reported missing and people were looking for him.
He was given a place to stay for the night, and family and friends were all notified that their loved one was found safe.
"What a great ending to a potentially tragic situation," said Chippewa County Sheriff Mike Bitnar. "Thank you all for your help."
