A 55-year-old man is safe following a rescue operation on Thanksgiving Day in St. Louis County.
Authorities were dispatched to an area approximately five miles northwest of Meadowlands around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday regarding a snowmobiler who had been unable to leave the woods.
The incident began the previous evening when the man was operating his snowmobile and became stuck in a swamp. Unable to free the machine, the rider sought shelter in a nearby remote cabin where he was able to spend the night out of the elements.
The following morning, the man managed to contact a friend to explain the situation. He indicated a plan to walk out from the cabin to the nearest road on foot. When the man failed to arrive at the roadway within the timeframe he had provided, the friend placed a call to 911 to report him missing.
St. Louis County deputies and members of the Rescue Squad responded to the scene to initiate a search. Teams eventually located the male subject roughly two miles from the trailhead where he had originally started his trip. Despite the overnight stay in the wilderness, responders reported that the man was in good physical condition aside from being wet and cold.
In light of the incident, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office issued a safety reminder regarding current ground conditions. While the region has experienced recent cold temperatures, officials warn that swamps and other bodies of water have not yet had sufficient time to freeze adequately for safe travel.
