By Justine Lofton
mlive.com
OTSEGO COUNTY, Mich. — Finding and extracting a missing California woman from a dense Northern Michigan forest was not an easy task, rescuers told WPBN/WGTU.
The 36-year-old woman went missing over the weekend in the Pigeon River Country State Forest where she was participating in an outdoor survival challenge hosted by a YouTube channel, MLive previously reported.
She left camp to find water Friday afternoon and did not return, authorities said. Contest hosts searched for her and eventually notified authorities. A Michigan State Police helicopter located the missing woman deep in a swampy area and directed officers on the ground to her location.
MSP Trooper Jeffrey Turnquist, of the K9 unit, told the TV station that the terrain was extremely rugged and densely wooded. Damage from the ice storm that hit Northern Michigan in March is still evident and made some areas almost impassable, he said. Plus, it was raining.
“There were times [when] we were crawling on our hands and knees to get through certain parts of the woods,” he said.
The woman was able to walk out under her own power and was evaluated by EMS on scene before being released with no serious injuries, police said. She had been lost for 18 hours.
RELATED: YouTube outdoor survival contestant lost in Michigan forest for nearly 18 hours
Police said the successful outcome was made possible by the combined efforts and dedication of the local first responders and partner agencies.
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