From the Fentress County Sheriff’s Office:

We’re thankful to report that an individual who was reported lost in the woods in the Wilder area was safely located early on the morning of January 4. The individual had been missing for several hours, and search efforts began immediately after the report was received.

Through the combined efforts of the Fentress County Rescue Squad, Fentress County Fire Department, Fentress County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the individual was successfully located with non-life-threatening injuries.

A helicopter from the Tennessee Highway Patrol assisted in the search and was instrumental in locating the individual, who had started a small fire to stay warm. This greatly helped responders pinpoint his location more quickly.

We would like to sincerely thank all agencies and personnel involved for their quick response, teamwork, and dedication. We are especially grateful for the positive outcome of this incident.

As a reminder to everyone: if you become lost (especially during colder weather) do your best to stay warm and remain in one place. This greatly increases your chances of being located quickly and safely.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in bringing this situation to a safe conclusion.