Man gets lost in frigid woods looking for his dog, Louisiana officials say. Both saved
A man and his dog were rescued from the bank of the Amite River in the early hours of Jan. 17 after spending at least eight hours lost in the cold, foggy woods in southern Louisiana, authorities said in a news release.
The St. George Fire Department said it received a call about a “suspicious individual in distress” at the 10500 block of Amite River Road in Baton Rouge and came out to investigate just after midnight.
“As anyone would upon receiving this type of call, units proceeded with caution,” the fire department said.
A fire engine, rescue squad, battalion chief, safety officer and medic unit all responded to the report and met with a homeowner, who said that they woke up in the middle of the night to a bright light illuminating their home through the window from across the river. The homeowner went outside to investigate and noticed a man with a dog across the river, calling for help.
The department communicated with the man and learned that he had been out in the woods earlier the day prior, but his dog wandered off into the brush. He chased his dog and eventually became lost, spending at least eight hours in the woods, the statement said.
The fire department used boats to navigate through a thick blanket of fog across the river and safely rescue the man and his pet. The video recorder’s breath huffs into view from the cold as he calls out to the rescue boat to mind the dock, which was slick.
Temperatures were in the mid-30s.
“As soon as they were brought to safety, both the victim and his dog were checked out and treated by our paramedics,” the fire department said. “Both were determined to be in stable condition and decided to not go to the hospital at that time.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Man gets lost in frigid woods looking for his dog, Louisiana officials say. Both saved."
