PORTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A man who got lost following a car crash is safe after nearly succumbing to hypothermia, Van Buren County Deputies say.
Friday night around 8:30 p.m., Deputies were called to 22nd Street in Porter Township for reports of a crash. When they found the car, it was cold and collecting snow.
During the investigation, a nearby resident called to report that a man who was cold and had car trouble had been at their home and was trying to find a friend's house. The man left on foot before Deputies got there.
Footprints were found in the area that led Deputies through a field, woods and eventually to the edge of a swamp where they found a 64-year-old man from Lawton lying unresponsive in wet, freezing clothes.
The man eventually regained consciousness and told Deputies he'd crashed 2 hours earlier and laid down on the ground after becoming lost and exhausted.
The man also said he couldn't feel his legs. We're told he was showing obvious signs of hypothermia. The man was turned over to E.M.S. for treatment, his condition is unknown at this time.
The Sheriff's office tells FOX 17 that if Deputies hadn't found and followed the footprints, the man would've succumbed likely succumbed to hypothermia near the swamp.
Following the incident, the Van Buren County Sheriff is reminding the public to make sure you have basic emergency supplies in your vehicle in case you're involved in a crash or have car trouble in the winter.
Things to keep in your car include blankets, an extra coat, boots, water, food and a flashlight.
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