Husband dies after Maine couple is lost in woods for days; wife may have survived thanks to dog

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Husband dies after Maine couple is lost in woods for days; wife may have survived thanks to dog
Pamela Helmstadter, 72, was found severely hypothermic and her husband was located deceased about 200 yards away, four days after they got lost in the woods.


Pamela Helmstadter being taken to an ambulance in Alexander, Maine, on Oct. 17.Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Oct. 21, 2024, 4:02 PM EDT
By Marlene Lenthang

A Maine man died and his wife was rescued days after they went for a walk in the woods in Maine and got lost — and officials say she may have been saved by her dog keeping her warm in the freezing temperatures.

John Helmstadter, 82, and Pamela Helmstadter, 72, went for a walk with their dogs last Sunday in a forested area behind their Alexander, Maine, home. ... But what was meant to be a casual stroll along a network of trails turned tragic when they got off one of the trails and John Helmstadter fell and was unable to get up. Neither of them had cellphones and were unable to call for assistance.

Pamela Helmstadter went to get help, but “got disoriented in the woods and could not get home,” the Maine Game Wardens said in a news release.

After spending four nights in the woods, she was located on Thursday — alive, but hypothermic — by the Maine Game Wardens and warden K9s, over a mile from her home. Her husband was found deceased, 200 yards from her, officials said.


Pamela Helmstadter being taken to an ambulance in Alexander, Maine, on Oct. 17.Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

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