Missing Wisconsin Boy Found in ‘Good Health’ Two Miles From Campsite

Michigan State police (MSP) called off a two-day search for an eight-year-old boy after finding him in good health camping out underneath a log.

Talk about roughing it!

Nante Niemi, a second grader from Hurley, Wisconsin, was on a camping trip with family at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, where he was last seen at 1:00 pm on May 6, the Michigan State Police (MSP) reported. He was last seen wearing a white sweatshirt, grey sweatpants, and black boots while out gathering firewood.

News Release – State Police Leads Search Efforts for 8-Year-Old Boy Missing in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Parkhttps://t.co/3WOkP6Pxxy https://t.co/v2MxVmy1B3 pic.twitter.com/SwDGRfculH

— MSP Eighth District (@MSPEighthDist) May 8, 2023

Located in the western part of the Upper Peninsula, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is Michigan’s largest state park. Its 60,000 acres include key features, such as its roaring waterfalls and the Lake Superior Shoreline, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The park is home to predators like the gray wolf and the black bear.

According to the Michigan State Police:

More than 150 search and rescue personnel from MSP and local police partners, including nine K9s, are currently in the roughly 40 square mile area on foot with some in the air and on water as weather conditions allow. The terrain is very remote and hilly with a lot of standing water due to the time of the year. Several seasonal roads are still impassable because of snow depth. 

On May 8 — a little more than 48 hours after his disappearance — police found Niemi just 2 miles away from his campsite. 

After running out of a trail to walk on Sunday, Niemi just stopped and waited for rescuers. Calumet Post First Lieutenant Jason Wickstrom said Niemi was able to survive in the woods by covering his body with branches and leaves for warmth underneath the log, according to a Twitter thread. Temperatures in the park Saturday night were 49 degrees, as reported by the Detroit News. He didn’t have any food, but ate snow to prevent dehydration. Pictures on Twitter show Niemi sitting piggy back style on the back of one of his rescuers, but he insisted that he walk back.