Missing South Jersey Man Found Following Three-Day Search

A Winslow Township man who had been missing since Tuesday morning has been found, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colallilo and Winslow Police Chief Robert Stimelski said Thursday night.

James Wharton, 61, initially called 9-1-1 at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning to tell authorities he had become lost in the woods while attempting to walk home from a friend’s house near Berlin-Cross Keys Road. He called again at 6:40 a.m. to report he was still lost, but his cell phone died after that.

Winslow Police brought in additional law enforcement to assist in the search of the densely wooded swamp area. The search ceased due to darkness, but resumed on Wednesday with additional volunteers and rescue personnel. K-9 dogs were called in, but the search continued to prove fruitless.

At about 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, police found Wharton, who was suffering from extreme exposure to the elements and rescued him from the woods. He was found by a civilian volunteer who assisted with the search.

Wharton was transported to Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, where he was said to be in good spirits and happy to have been found.

Aiding the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Winslow Township Police in the search were Midtlantic Search and Rescue, Burlington County K-9 Search and Rescue, the New Jersey Forestry Service, Camden County OEM and CERT Team, Winslow Fire and EMS, New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit, multiple Camden County fire departments, New Jersey State Police Southstar Helicopter and

The attached image of James Wharton was provided by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office