An 83-year-old woman with dementia was found nearly a mile from her Michigan home in a swamp after going missing on Tuesday. The woman, identified as Daisy Hoffman, was reported missing around 1 p.m. from Waverly Township; the Michigan State Police (MSP) and other local agencies coordinated a search that culminated with a helicopter locating her using advanced imaging technology, according to CBS News Detroit.
In the rescue efforts described as 'excellent' by the MSP, Hoffman was spotted in the swamp by the MSP's aviation team, which worked in conjunction with boots-on-the-ground units from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office and Van Buren EMS. Hoffman was visible via helicopter cameras, even as she wandered 30 to 50 yards off the road, as reported by WOODTV. "Looks like you guys are all set with us," said a trooper in the helicopter following the successful location and assistance for Hoffman, who had walked eastbound from her abode and was last seen in a pink bathrobe.
The WZZM13 account shared that troopers used thermographic cameras which enable detection of heat signatures to find Hoffman amidst the dense foliage of the swampy area, despite the challenge posed by trees, using the aviation team's directions, officers on foot were able to reach Hoffman, who seemed disoriented but physically unharmed.
