Police used drones to locate a missing woman alive in a wooded area after a vehicle fire in Michigan.
The incident occurred on Sunday (April 6) at 1:57 p.m. by Mason County deputies responding to a report of a burned vehicle south of Countyline Road and west of Morton Road in Grant Township.
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Officials said the vehicle matched the description of one belonging to a missing person reported by the Norton Shores Police Department.
Police said a search was immediately initiated around the vehicle and the surrounding area.
The operation involved members of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Grant Township Fire Department, and the Mason County Sheriff’s Office drone unit.
At 7:08 p.m., police said the missing woman was located by a drone approximately 150 yards from her vehicle in a heavily wooded area, lying next to a downed tree.
Officials confirmed that she was the missing person from Norton Shores, and she was found alive, conversing with deputies at the scene.
Through interviews, surveillance video, and a trail camera near a seasonal home, it was determined that the woman left the Little River Casino on Thursday (April 3), presumably heading back to Norton Shores.
She became lost and ended up on a long driveway of a seasonal home. While attempting to turn around, her vehicle became disabled and caught fire.
Police said the woman exited the vehicle but left her cell phone inside. When she tried to return to the car, she became disoriented.
A trail camera captured footage of the vehicle arriving and the victim walking away, showing she did not return.
She lay next to a downed tree to seek shelter from Thursday night’s rain. Unfortunately, she became too cold to stand up on Friday and remained on the ground until she was found on Sunday evening.
In 2015, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office received its first drone through a generous donation from a citizen.
On Monday, April 7, 2025, the sheriff’s office operated three drones, purchased with the assistance of the Mason County Board of Commissioners and grants, and a team of deputies trained in their operation.
Most recently, the MCSO acquired equipment that enables internet access via Starlink satellites.
This technology proved crucial, as the area had little cell phone service, allowing the drone team to maintain connectivity.
