A four-day search for a missing Northern Michigan teenager concluded successfully when a Michigan State Police dog named Ox located her in a wooded area. The 15-year-old Mesick girl, Isabella Fritch, had been missing since Thursday, September 19, when she was seen last leaving her school at about 9:40 a.m. MSP Seventh District had issued a call for help to the public to find the teen, who typically arrived home by bus but did not on the day she disappeared.
WEXFORD COUNTY, MI. The MSP Cadillac Post is requesting help locating a 15-year-old girl, Isabella Fritch, from Mesick. Fritch is a white female, approximately 5’8” in height and weighs 160 pounds. She was last seen leaving school in Mesick at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Thursday,… pic.twitter.com/sQWm9kyjRF
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 23, 2024
Spotted on Monday by a Wexford County Sheriff's deputy on W. 14 Road in Mesick, Fritch entered the woods, prompting the need for the K-9 team. According to Audacy, Trooper Unterbrink, and Ox traced her steps approximately four miles into the terrain dense with the weight of nature and uncertainty.
Bodycam footage released by the authorities captured the moment of discovery, showing the trained K-9 and his handler navigating through the thicket. In the video, once found, Fritch can be seen petting Ox, being reassured by Trooper Unterbrink, "You can pet him. Just don't take his ball," shared by CBS News Detroit.
While the details surrounding Fritch's disappearance remain undisclosed by the authorities, the community and her family have expressed relief at her safe return. Fritch, who was last communicating with anyone on the day she went missing at about noon per her father's statement, had been evading contact until Ox and Trooper Unterbrink's timely intervention.
