Michigan deputies follow footprints in snow to rescue man with hypothermia after crash
(CBS DETROIT) — Deputies from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office followed footprints in the snow to rescue a 64-year-old Lawton man who was lost in a wooded area after crashing his car.
Deputies responded to a crash in the 74000 block of 22nd Street in Porter Township around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 3.
When they arrived, they found an unoccupied vehicle crashed into a tree. The car was cold, and snow was gathering on it.
The weather at the time was 20 degrees, with high winds and occasional heavy snow.
During an investigation, a nearby resident told deputies that a man had been at their home and said he was having car trouble and was cold. The neighbor said the man was trying to get to a neighbor's house and walked away before deputies arrived.
While searching the area, deputies found footprints in the snow leading off the road. They followed the footprints through a field, a wooded area and into the edge of a swamp, where they eventually found the unresponsive man lying on the ground under brush.
When deputies made contact with the man, he responded and became more coherent. His clothes were wet and beginning to freeze, and he told deputies that he couldn't feel his legs.
The man told deputies that he had crashed his car at least two hours before they tracked him down and that he had become lost while walking, exhausted, and laid down where deputies found him. He was very disoriented and "showing obvious signs of hypothermia," according to officials.
Deputies were able to bring the man back to the roadway, where he was treated by paramedics.
Deputies said that if they had not found the man's footprints and followed them, he would have likely died from hypothermia near the edge of the swamp.
The sheriff's office reminds drivers to pack basic emergency supplies in case they're involved in a crash or have car trouble during the winter. The items include a blanket or extra coat, winter boots, water, food or snacks and a flashlight.
