Missing Man in Paradise Area Found Alive and Well

On Thursday 3-7-2024 near mid-day the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a remote area near Paradise, Mi for a missing persons complaint.

A man was searching for his friend and found his vehicle stuck on a trail in the snow. His friend was nowhere to be found and had been missing since Tuesday. The weather warmed up, melted and froze the snow in the area several times leaving almost no evidence or tracks to follow.

The man was described as a 69-year-old who walked with a cane.

Deputy Sheriffs, MI DNR, and the US Border Patrol searched the area. The search was conducted on ORVs,, on foot, and the Sheriff’s Office used their Drone to search the area but was unable to find the man before dark.

As the search continued, we received additional information. We found that the missing man had with him a pull behind sled, with some camping gear, snowshoes and a sleeping bag. There were several structures in the area that he had access to if he wanted to use them.

Every shelter and camping spot on the property was searched with no evidence of the missing man.

Family and friends said the man has spent lots of time living off the grid in the past. However, this time the man’s actions prior, the fact that he left his vehicle, and he didn’t tell anyone what he was doing made family and friends very concerned for his safety. We were told that if he didn’t want to be found we wouldn’t find him.

The Sheriff’s Office, our Search and Rescue, Bay Mills Police and Sault Tribe PD K-9 unit spent the next day covering over 1,100 acres of the property that he was believed to headed to.

This evening, March 9,-2024, an off-duty police officer came across our missing man walking down a trail not too far from the search area.

The man was cold, hungry and was having a hard time walking. He was given a ride to a restaurant in Paradise Mi to get a hot meal. The Sheriff’s Office responded and met the man in Paradise.

The man stated he spent the last two nights sleeping in the woods. He was very surprised that anyone reported him missing and were looking for him. We were able to find a place for him to stay for the night.

Family and friends were all notified that their loved one was found safe.

Thank you all for your help.