An elderly man missing since Wednesday morning was found alive and well in the bush north of Winnipeg late Thursday morning.
"He's in pretty good condition," said RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish.
Jerome Rabnett
Air and ground crews had been searching for Jerome (Jerry) Rabnett, 84, last seen walking his three dogs west of Teulon.
He was found about two kilometres away from where he was last seen, Karpish said.
"He was lying down, had no shoes and was clearly disoriented, but conscious."
Rabnett, who is hard of hearing and suffers from dementia, endured temperatures that dropped close to 0 C overnight.
The dogs he had been walking with were also found.
Rabnett was treated at the scene, then taken to hospital in Teulon for observation.
RCMP search and rescue, the RCMP canine unit, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, Teulon RCMP and ground crews were involved in the search.
"Mr. Rabnett was found by a chartered helicopter hired and paid by the RCMP," Karpish said.
She said he was spotted by two office of the fire commissioner's staff who are medically trained. They were using a thermal camera that senses heat against a cold surface.
"It picked up on the heat from his body against the cold of the ground," Karpish said.
"The helicopter landed in a clearing nearby, the two OFC staff walked to where he was in the bush, assessed him and took him back via helicopter to the command post."
Rabnett was taken by ambulance to Teulon Hunter Memorial Hospital.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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