MASON COUNTY, Mich. — A woman who was missing for several days was found alive, lying under a tree in the woods of Mason County, Michigan.
Nancy Bloomquist, 74, had left the Little River Casino around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
A seasonal homeowner reported a burned car on a private road. The car matched that of Bloomquist.
Police believe Bloomquist got lost on her way from the casino and ended up on the long, two-track driveway of a seasonal home, a residence not visited often by its owner. But the owner happened to stop by on Sunday and found the car.
“It’s just blind luck that the homeowner happened to come up and found the car on their property,” Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said.
A security camera recorded the car coming onto the property around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Bloomquist was seen leaving the car, but not returning.
She was found about 350 feet from her car on Sunday around 7:30 p.m., several hours after the search for her started. The drone that was being used was low on power but was able to use thermal imaging to find her.
Bloomquist said she got lost on the road, tried to turn the car around and it became disabled and caught fire. She left her car without her phone and became lost.
Even if she had her phone with her, there was little cell service in the area where she was lost.
She lay down next to a tree on Thursday night while it was raining, but she was not able to get back up on Friday because it got too cold overnight.
It was 27 degrees on Saturday morning. At one point, it was as cold as 22 degrees.
“She’s incredibly, incredibly lucky she’s still alive,” Cole said.
Bloomquist was taken to an area hospital to be treated for exposure.
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