SUSSEX, NJ – State troopers searching for a man who had been reported missing by his family after not returning from an ATV ride through Stokes State Forest a day earlier found him deep inside the state park.
According to a statement today, family members contacted the New Jersey State Police after the man had not returned home the day prior.
Troopers searching for the missing man discovered UTV tracks leading deep into the forest and followed those tracks until they found his vehicle disabled by a downed tree and boulders. Following footprints in the snow, troopers located a walking stick and a right boot and kept searching.
Nearby, they found the man lying on his back, experiencing hypothermia and shallow breathing. Rescuers warmed the mans body by using their own clothing and placed their bulletproof vests under his back to create a layer between the man and the frozen ground beneath him.
He was carried out of the forest with the assistance of the Sandyston Fire Department and has since recovered at home.