A search party found a missing boy Monday after he survived by eating clean snow and covering himself with leaves, according to Michigan State Police (MSP).
Nante Niemi, 8, had been missing since around 1 p.m. Saturday, totaling roughly 48 hours, according to a May 8 press release from the MSP. Niemi had been walking and collecting firewood for his family’s campsite when he went missing, the statement said.
“He walked a trail yesterday (Sunday) and when he ran out of trail, he figured the best thing to do was to just stop and wait,” the MSP tweeted. (RELATED: ‘A Parent’s Worst Nightmare’: Police Find Seven Dead Bodies On Property Of Convicted Rapist)
News Release – Update: Missing Boy Found Safe and Reunited with Familyhttps://t.co/xv4XFbL4Kk pic.twitter.com/PhxcCfCVdt
— MSP Eighth District (@MSPEighthDist) May 8, 2023
Niemi was wearing a sweatshirt, sweatpants and boots, but he did not have any gear or food with him, according to Michigan Live. In order to survive, Niemi ate clean snow for hydration and stayed tucked under a log, which he covered with leaves to stay warm, the outlet reported.
The search party involved 150 search and rescue personnel, including K9s, and they covered a 40-square-mile area on foot and in the air, according to police. Niemi is healthy and has been reunited with his family.
“They offered to carry him out today, but he told the guys who found him that he wanted to walk!” the MSP tweeted.
“The Michigan State Police wish to thank all of the volunteers and support services that assisted in locating this child,” the press release concludes.