Michigan woman,74, found alive in woods days after car caught on fire on way home

Nancy Bloomquist spent three days in freezing temperatures sheltered next to a fallen tree

A 74-year-old Michigan woman who was reported missing has been found alive after surviving freezing temperatures and three days in the woods.

Nancy Bloomquist was visiting the Little River Casino — about 95 miles north of her home in Norton Shores — on Thursday, police said. She was reportedly driving home in a 2024 GMC Terrain when she lost her way on a private road. Bloomquist was traveling in the nighttime hours, through the dark and a rainstorm and near-freezing temperatures.

"Surveillance footage shows her leaving the casino at approximately 5:30 p.m. [local time] and driving southbound on US-31. She has not been seen or heard from since," police said.

During her trip, Bloomquist accidentally turned down a long driveway to a seasonal home. Realizing her mistake, she tried to turn her vehicle around on the narrow road, but eventually became stuck.

At some point during the ordeal, flames erupted from Bloomquist's SUV, forcing her to flee the vehicle. Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole told local broadcaster WZZM that the vehicle may have caught fire because the engine was overworked while trying to gain traction on roads that he called "life-threatening."

Bloomquist tried to return to her SUV to retrieve her phone and call for help, but she became lost. Near-freezing rain pelted her, and the cold sapped her strength, forcing her to seek shelter next to a tree, according to the sheriff's office.

Nancy Bloomquist, 74, was found alive after she was forced to endure three days of debilitating cold in the Michigan woods. Bloomquist's SUV caught fire while she was driving to her home in Norton Shores, forcing her to seek shelter in the woods until police eventually located her. (Norton Shores Police Department)

The woman reportedly sheltered at the tree for three days.

On April 6, police in Norton Shores asked for the public's help finding Bloomquist.

The following afternoon, officers received a report that a vehicle had broken down on the side of the road in Grant Township. Police launched a search operation after noting that the burned-out vehicle's description matched that of Bloomquist's SUV.

Rescuers at the site used a drone to help search the surrounding wooded areas and located Bloomquist huddled among the trees about 150 yards from her SUV. From the time police received the burning car report to the time they located Bloomquist was less than six hours.

"She's incredibly, incredibly lucky she's still alive ... I don't know her, but she's a tough gal," Cole told the broadcaster.

Bloomquist was conscious when deputies and rescuers found her and was able to speak to law enforcement. She was transported to a hospital where she received treatment for exposure, according to WZZM.