A woman from Maine was found suffering from hypothermia, while her husband was discovered dead on Thursday, four days after they embarked on a hike in the woods behind their home.
The couple, 72-year-old Pamela Helmstadter and 82-year-old John Helmstadter, had taken their black lab named Lucy for a hike in a large forest area behind their house, as confirmed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife on Monday morning.
They set out for their walk on Sunday, according to reports from television stations WMTV and WGME.
Neither of them carried their phones and they were reported missing by early Wednesday evening.
Maine Game Wardens, along with K9 units, found Pamela around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in Alexander, a town near the Canadian border. They discovered her husband deceased about an hour later, as stated in an email by Mark Latti, the department’s communications director. Their dog was also found and was reported to be in good condition.
“Pamela was located over a mile southeast of her residence in the woods, while her husband was about 200 yards away,” Latti wrote.
As Latti explained, John fell and was unable to rise, prompting Pamela to seek help. She informed the rescuers that she was lost and couldn’t navigate her way out of the woods.
“When individuals become lost, they often wander in circles and may walk a significant distance without making progress,” Latti noted.
Woman in ‘Severe Hypothermia’ When Rescuers Located Her
During the search for the couple, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife posted an update online, stating that the last contact with family members occurred on Saturday evening.
The department indicated that the couple likely left their home on foot and their vehicles were still parked there. They requested that anyone with information come forward to contact the Maine Warden Service.
When rescuers found Pamela on Thursday afternoon, she was “severely hypothermic with a core temperature of 90.7,” Latti remarked.
Despite her condition, she remained alert and was able to communicate with the game wardens who found her.
John’s body is expected to undergo examination by the State Medical Examiner’s office to determine the cause of death.
Latti noted that it rained on Monday, the day the couple was in the woods, and Wednesday saw temperatures drop below freezing with occurrences of frost.
This story has been updated to correct a misspelling.
