Missing Driver Found In Truck, Hospitalized For Hypothermia

CANTON, GA — A 54-year-old Pickens County man reported missing by family members was found Thursday inside his truck and had to be transported to the hospital for hypothermia. Crews with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services assisted the Cherokee Sheriff's Office in locating the resident, who was last seen Wednesday afternoon by family members, said sheriff's office spokesperson Sgt. Marianne Kelley.

Cherokee County fire said the Pickens County Sheriff's Office picked up a ping from the victim's cell phone, which was able to narrow down his approximate location.

A family member contacted Cherokee County 9-1-1 dispatchers and said her brother's truck had been traced to a location at the end of Hogan Pond Lane, which is off Highway 372 north of Ga. 369 between Ball Ground and the Free Home community.

"Our deputies responded to the possible location, at the request of Pickens County SO, and had to then retrieve a four-wheel-drive-vehicle to continue their search due to the rough terrain," Sgt. Kelley added.

Deputies descended onto the area and drove as far as they could before having to walk about a quarter of a mile down a dirt path before finding the resident lying in his truck, "which was stuck on some downed trees he had driven across," Sgt. Kelley added.

Sheriff's deputies, who determined the man's cell phone battery had died, requested the help of firefighters, who brought out a GATOR utility vehicle to retrieve the resident from the woods. He was recovered from the area around 2 p.m. Thursday and transported to Northside Hospital Cherokee for evaluation.

Firefighters on the scene said the man was conscious but "may have been suffering from hypothermia." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposures to extremely cold temperatures. Warning signs in adults include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness, the CDC notes.

The winter weather from late Tuesday not only dumped a blanket of snow and ice onto Cherokee County, but also ushered in bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills across the area.

Images via Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services