Lost for two days in a Michigan state park, 8-year-old ate snow until his safe discovery

According to a news release by the state police, a young boy from Wisconsin who had gone missing for two days during a camping trip in Michigan with his family has been found safe by search party volunteers. The 8-year-old Nante Niemi was discovered on Monday afternoon under a log about two miles from the campsite in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, a forested park spanning over 60,000 acres and commonly known as the “Porkies.”

The search for Niemi involved a large-scale effort by search and rescue teams from Michigan and Wisconsin. The boy’s mother, Jessica Buerger, revealed to local media that her son was a first-time participant in the annual family camping trip. According to Michigan State Police, Niemi was last seen around 1 p.m. on Saturday when he went to collect firewood near the family’s campsite. The search and rescue teams, consisting of around 150 personnel, scoured an area of 40 square miles within the remote and hilly terrain of the park.

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

The Hurley School District in Wisconsin, where Niemi is a student, expressed their support on social media, stating they had “two buses of volunteers waiting to go help search,” alongside numerous professional agencies from Wisconsin and Michigan who had been deployed to assist in the search.

On Saturday, Niemi’s mother posted a message on social media expressing gratitude for the support they had received but requested that people stay away from the search area, as it would hinder the search efforts.

After wandering off the trail, the child was found sheltering underneath a log, where he had covered himself with branches and leaves for warmth and drank clean snow for hydration. Niemi was reunited with his family and is reported to be in good health. The school district posted a message stating, “Words cannot describe the emotions and joy the students and staff are experiencing at this moment!”