Motorist in distress located hours later

MANSFIELD TOWNSHIP — A woman who was reported as lost by her sister on Thursday was located several hours later by the Michigan State Police.

At 3:35 p.m., troopers from the Michigan State Police Negaunee Post were dispatched to the area of Fence River Road on the report of a lost motorist in distress. Marquette County Central Dispatch had received a call from a resident of Republic advising that her 69 year-old sister from Menominee was traveling to Republic to visit and had gotten lost. The caller further advised that her sister had taken a wrong turn and gotten her vehicle stuck in a snowbank in a remote area.

The caller said that her sister had caller her, stating that she stayed with her car until it eventually ran out of gas. The motorist then began walking in order to stay warm. Temperatures at the time were hovering around zero degrees.

Marquette Central Dispatch and the troopers were able to plot the subject’s possible location by pinging her cell phone. Troopers located the vehicle and eventually found footprints in the snow off the road, a long way from the car.

She had discovered a local mail delivery driver and was seated in the car trying to warm up. The woman advised that she had been walking since 10:00 a.m. She refused any medical treatment and was transported to her sister’s residence in Republic.