74-year-old woman sheltered next to tree in woods for days after crash, MI cops say

A 74-year-old woman who went missing after leaving a casino was found alive in a wooded area, where she had sought refuge for three days, Michigan authorities say.

The Norton Shores Police Department said Nancy Bloomquist was reported missing April 6 after leaving Little River Casino three days prior.

Officers called her disappearance “concerning,” noting no one had heard from the 74-year-old after she left the Manistee casino.

Around 2 p.m. on April 6, Mason County Sheriff deputies discovered Bloomquist’s burned GMC Terrain in Grant Township, authorities said.

Grant Township is about a 75-mile drive north from her hometown of Norton Shores and is 15 miles south from the casino.

First responders began looking for Bloomquist in the vicinity of her vehicle, and she was discovered just after 7 p.m. by a drone, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

Bloomquist was alive, lying next to a downed tree about 150 yards from her SUV, authorities said.

An investigation revealed Bloomquist became lost April 3 while driving home. When she attempted to turn around, her “vehicle became disabled and caught fire,” the sheriff’s office said.

She abandoned her SUV without her phone, and when she tried to go back to retrieve it, she got lost, according to the sheriff.

As storms passed through Mason County on April 3, Bloomquist took shelter in the woods and laid next to the tree, authorities said.

“She became cold to the point that she could not get back to her feet Friday,” the sheriff said. “She remained lying on the ground until Sunday evening.”

Bloomquist was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for exposure, according to WZZM.

Grant Township, where she was discovered, is about a 265-mile drive northwest from Detroit.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 11:53 AM with the headline "74-year-old woman sheltered next to tree in woods for days after crash, MI cops say."