A 36-year-old woman from California, participating in a YouTube survival challenge, was found in Otsego County forest by Michigan State Police after being reported missing during the online event. The search effort, including a helicopter and K9 units from the MSP, culminated on Saturday with the safe retrieval of the contestant, who had been lost since Friday evening, as detailed in a report from The Detroit News.
Challenges of navigating the Pigeon River State Forest, recently damaged by an ice storm, added complexity to the search and it wasn't until 5 a.m. yesterday that the missing woman was reported to authorities, with a subsequent social media update from the MSP Seventh District describing the operation's progression and highlighting the collective effort of various first responders and the efficient work of law enforcement officers and firefighters in the rescue process.
During the operation, a clip shared on social media depicted the woman, clad in a bright jacket, alerting a circling helicopter, which subsequently directed ground units to her precise location, enabling her extraction from the forest. The MSP Aviation Unit played a crucial role; Trooper 6, upon receiving the alert, managed to locate the woman in the expansive wilderness as described in a social media post from MSP Seventh District.
On September 6, troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord Post responded to the Pigeon River State Forest to assist the Otsego County Sheriff's Office in locating a 36-year-old woman missing from California. The woman was a contestant in a YouTube survival challenge… pic.twitter.com/9eEdIteS5f
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 6, 2025
