Woman reported missing in Williamson Co. found safe

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - A missing woman has been found safe.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, the 81-year-old woman was found Monday morning, September 11 in a densely wooded area not far from her home. She is reported to be dehydrated but in overall good condition.

Sheriff Jeff Diederich said the woman was found by her family member.

He said she had fallen into a creek. While it wasn’t filled with water, it was very rocky. She was found there, not too far from her home.

Crews have been searching for the woman since Saturday.

Over the past couple of days, the search included more than 100 members of various law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency management agencies and volunteers.

In addition, aircraft and drones were used for the search which was complicated because of the dense woods and thick trees. The sheriff described it as rocky with unstable grounds.

“She has been located in an area that was heavily searched on Sunday and she wasn’t there, obviously, she’s worked her way back,” Sheriff Diederich said. “So we’re just excited for the family and very glad for the positive closure to this.”

The sheriff said they don’t believe there was any foul play.

“This is just a typical situation where somebody in the condition has wandered off,” he added. “Given the location, it’s heavily wooded, and because of that it makes the search and locating the individual very difficult.”

The sheriff said the family wanted him to express to the public their “great appreciation for all of the support, not only to law enforcement, to the fire services, EMA, all of the emergency services, but also to the public for their support.”

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