Capitol News

A 70-year-old man from Ogemaw County, Michigan, was found and returned to his family on Tuesday afternoon after going missing earlier that day. The incident took place near the man's home in a rural and wooded area close to County Highway F-18 and M-30 in Edwards Township.

The search began around 11:30 a.m., when the man was reported missing. Officers from the Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office responded first and initiated a search with canine units. A helicopter from the Michigan State Police also assisted by searching from the air.

Conservation officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), including Kyle Bader, Brad Bellville, Josh Jobin, and probationary officer Andrew Werth, joined the effort. They applied “lost person behavior,” a specific search and rescue technique designed for such situations.

At approximately 3:10 p.m., one of the conservation officers located the missing man in a ditch about 100 yards away from his home. According to authorities, he was stable and did not need medical care.

“Based on our training we know that people with health conditions, such as dementia in this situation, are often located within 1.5 miles from the place they left,” said Lt. Jeremy Payne of the DNR.

Since 2012, Michigan conservation officers have been trained in search and rescue operations to find people in areas difficult for vehicles to reach. Their skills continue to develop through tactical tracking methods that involve identifying evidence left behind by missing individuals.

The Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office led the response, with assistance from both DNR conservation officers and Michigan State Police.

Michigan conservation officers serve as fully licensed law enforcement officials who protect natural resources, enforce recreational safety rules, and perform lifesaving duties throughout their communities.