Man found after getting lost in the woods overnight
UPDATE — 5:25 PM Wednesday, November 18, 2015 (EST)
Tuesday morning at approximately nine forty five a.m. Iron County Central Dispatch contacted the Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post for a lost hunter.
69–year–old Frances Nennig of Iron River left a family camp on Monday and was unable to navigate his way back. After remaining lost over night and through Tuesday morning he contacted Iron County 911 which relayed the message to the Michigan State Police – Iron Mountain Post. Upon arriving near Beechwood in Iron River Township Trooper Patrick Baldwin contacted Nennig on his cell phone and told him he would activate the emergency siren on the patrol car.
“I turned on the siren for approximately two to three minutes,” said MSP – Iron Mountain Post Trooper Patrick Baldwin, “I called him back and he said he couldn’t hear it. I then told him that I observed a trail and I was going to walk in there a little bit and was going to fire a round from my service weapon. He said he heard the round, but he couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from.”
Baldwin then asked if Nennig could fire a round from his hunting rifle. Baldwin then got a sense of direction which he estimated to be roughly a mile and a half away. While staying in contact through the phone, Baldwin got closer and closer, but only after fording three creeks on foot.
“The first one was a little bit above my knees, the second stream that I crossed was above my waist, the third I didn’t touch bottom. I had to swim across that one. I did locate him. He was cold and had been exposed to the weather all night. He was visibly shaken, he had some difficulty walking, but I reassured him that we were going to get him out of the woods and back to camp.”
Even with the subject located, the return journey still held its complications.
“Going back the way that I came in was not an option. I was not going to attempt to take this elderly gentleman the three creeks that I had just crossed.”
Deputy Sheriff Lenny Brezek assisted in guiding Baldwin and Nennig out of the woods.
Nennig was treated at the scene and is believed to be doing much better.
IRON MOUNTAIN — An Iron River man was located after spending Monday night in the woods in Iron County.
Troopers form the Iron Mountain Post of the Michigan State Police say they were dispatched to the Beechwood area in Iron River Township at around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after a 911 call from 69-year-old Francis Nennig. Nennig told dispatchers that he had left his camp on Monday and was unable to navigate back. He had spent the night in the woods and was experiencing symptoms of exposure to the cold.
Police entered the woods in the area described by Nennig near his camp. After fording three creeks and the Iron River on foot, a Trooper was able to locate the lost man about two miles from his camp in a heavily wooded area. Nennig had some difficulty walking out the woods and was assisted by the Trooper.
He was transported to Aspirus Iron River Hospital by Iron County EMS where he was treated for cold exposure. Troopers were assisted by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office and Iron County Search and Rescue.