Missing Snowmobiler Found Near Seven Springs
JENNERSTOWN, Pa. (KDKA/AP) -State police and emergency crews have found a snowmobiler who was last seen heading to ride alone in the Laurel Mountains in southwestern Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Authorities resumed searching about 8 a.m. Wednesday in the mountains near Jennerstown, the hometown of 50-year-old Bruce Maust.
He was found near Seven Springs around noon and appeared to be in good condition.
"Just complete elation; just purely surreal," said Nicole Maust, Bruce's sister. "I can't tell you all of the support from all of the fire departments, the police, the search and rescue and our good friends and friends of those friends."
He was taken to Somerset Hospital for an evaluation, and was in the process of being released Wednesday evening.
According to police, Maust was last seen around 3 p.m. Sunday. He was driving a red-and-black Polaris snowmobile and was wearing matching colored gear and a helmet.
The man's family said he suffers from a medical condition which can cause dementia, and rescuers are concerned Maust may have become lost as a result.
Crews searched about 12 hours each on Monday and Tuesday.
He was finally found leaning against a tree along the bank of a pond and his snowmobile was in pond. Officials say he survived only on water.
Police say he used an ATM card at Seven Springs after leaving his home on Sunday and that allowed police to focus their search.
"Absolutely very fortunate in every sense of the word," said Trooper John Matchik, of Pennsylvania State Police. "It is absolutely a wonderful ending to the story."
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