Nante Niemi was rescued from the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park after going missing on Saturday (Pictures: Hurley School District)
An 8-year-old boy was rescued after surviving for two days lost in the Michigan wilderness.
Nante Niemi, a second grader from Wisconsin, was found safe and sound on Monday after getting lost in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
Niemi disappeared from his family’s campsite near the town of Wakefield in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Saturday afternoon. His family believed he wandered off and got lost while collecting firewood.
His disappearance started a huge manhunt, which expanded to involve 150 search and rescue personnel and nine K9 teams to search the area on ground, air, and on Lake Superior.
Nante Niemi, 8, survived for two days in the Michigan wilderness (Picture: MSP Eighth District)
Rescuers searched for two days in an area of about 40 square miles – just a small portion of the state park’s 60,000 acres of wilderness. Large portions of the park were still inaccessible to cars due to unmelted snow.
Eventually, Niemi was found at about two miles away from his family’s campsite.
Michigan State Police said Niemi survived a full two days in the wilderness by building a shelter out of leaves, branches, and a log, and eating snow to stay hydrated.
‘He braved the elements by taking shelter under a log where he was ultimately found,’ rescuers said. ‘He didn’t have any food but ate clean snow for hydration.’
Niemi was eventually found by family friend Eli Talsma (Picture: MSP Eighth District)
On Sunday, Niemi began walking down a hiking trail, searching for his campsite. ‘When he ran out of trail, he figured the best thing to do was to just stop and wait,’ the Michigan State Police said. ‘They offered to carry him out today, but he told the guys who found him that he wanted to walk!’
He was eventually discovered by Eli Talsma, a family friend who was assisting with the search team.
‘First thing he did is he went to give me a fist bump, and we gave a fist bump, and we gave each other a big hug,’ Talsma told CBS Detroit. ‘And I said, “are you OK, is anything wrong?” He’s like, “No, I’m good. I’m just ready to go home.”‘
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The boy disappeared from his family’s campsite in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Saturday afternoon.
