A camper reported missing last night from Point Beach State Park was found early this morning and is safe. At 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the park in response to a report that a 67-year-old Sturgeon Bay man had gone missing. The camper, who reportedly suffers from early-stage dementia, had apparently left on foot without his phone, flashlight or other items. A preliminary search of the immediate area was unsuccessful and the search was expanded with the addition of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team and a K-9 unit, Wisconsin DNR Wardens on ATV’s, Town of Two Rivers Fire Department crews with their tracked UTV, Michicot EMS and Point Beach State Park Rangers.
Sheriff’s Deputy Hemauer and his partner Leon were able to significantly reduce the search area to a densely wooded area between the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and Lake Michigan beach area where all searchers then concentrated their efforts.
At 1:43 this morning, two members of Michicot EMS located the missing camper in that area. He was reportedly disoriented and sustained minor injuries from negotiating through the woods, but was otherwise OK and, after being examined, was safely returned to his fellow campers.
