Crime & Safety
Woman Rescued From MI Wooded Area During Online Survival Challenge: Sheriff
Officials said the woman had become lost and survived roughly 18 hours in a dense wooded area in northern Michigan.
OTSEGO COUNTY, MI — A California woman was rescued Saturday from a Michigan wooded area where she survived 18 hours during an online survival challenge, according to sheriff's officials.
The 36-year-old woman was participating in a YouTube outdoor survival contest in the Pigeon River Forest, Charlton Township, officials said.
At 5 p.m. Friday, officials said the woman left the camp to look for water. When she didn't return, officials said the contest hosts began looking for her.
Find out what's happening in Across Michiganfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
After unsuccessfully trying to find the woman for hours, officials said the contest hosts called 911 at 5 a.m. Officials immediately began searching Pigeon Run State Forest, which was still damaged from a recent ice storm.
At roughly 10:40 a.m. Saturday, a Michigan State Police helicopter located the missing woman deep within a swampy area, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Across Michiganfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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
A video clip shows the woman in a bright jacket waving to a helicopter overhead as the pilot guides ground units to her location.
Officials said the woman was able to walk out under her own power and did not suffer any serious injuries.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
