PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine game warden and his K9 on Saturday rescued a 90-year-old man missing since he left home the night before.
James Thomas of Mexico, Maine, left a note telling his family he would be in the area of Township E in Franklin County to "look for artifacts around old cellar holes and settlements," Mark Latti, communications director for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said in a news release issued Monday.
When Thomas did not return Friday night, his family reportedly found Thomas' truck parked at his camp but the ATV missing. After searching for some time with no success, they called 911 at about 11:15 p.m. Friday.
The Maine Warden Service, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and Border Patrol searched the area.
At about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Thomas' ATV was found by Game Warden Alex Maxsimic. The ATV was parked in bushes beside a logging road several miles from Thomas' camp.
Game Warden Chad Robertson and a dog named Storm found Thomas about a quarter mile away from where the ATV was parked at about 3:15 a.m.
"James had spent some time searching for objects in the area with his metal detector earlier in the day but was unable to find his ATV when he attempted to return to his truck that evening," Latti wrote. "He then decided to walk to his truck, but without a working flashlight, he became lost in the woods."
Thomas was cold but uninjured.