A heart-wrenching tale of survival and loyalty emerged from Maine after a 72-year-old woman was found alive in the woods near her husband’s dead body.
Pamela Helmstadter survived four nights of rain and cold temperatures before rescuers found her with her pet dog, Lucy, who slept on her chest to keep her warm.
Her husband, John Helmstadter, 82, sadly died before rescuers arrived at the scene on Thursday, October 17.
Highlights
- Pamela Helmstadter survived four nights cold, rainy nights in the woods with her dog, Lucy.
- The 72-year-old woman had gotten lost while out for a walk with her husband, John Helmstadter, and their two dogs.
- John, 82, unfortunately did not survive the ordeal.
- Lucy managed to keep Pamela warm by sleeping on her chest.
72-year-old Pamela Helmstadter survived four nights in the cold, rainy Maine woods after getting lost with her husband and two dogs
Image credits: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Image credits: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Pamela and John were out in the woods with their two dogs when the incident took place. The couple had gone off-trail and sadly couldn't find their way back home.
Their outing took a tragic turn when John fell and couldn’t get back up.
With no way to get her husband back on his feet, Pamela made the difficult decision to leave him behind and search for help. Unfortunately, she too became disoriented and failed to return.
Her 82-year-old husband, John Helmstadter, tragically passed away during their ordeal
For four days, Pamela braved the rain and frigid temperatures with Lucy by her side. The black lab is believed to have slept on her chest, offering warmth and protection.
She was suffering from severe hypothermia when rescuers finally found her, and her loyal dog was still trying to protect her.
“When the K-9 team located her, her dog was being very protective of her and even laid down on top of her on her chest,” Maine Warden Service Sgt. Josh Beal told WMTW.
Pamela's black lab, Lucy, played a crucial role in her survival by lying on her chest to keep her warm
He said the canine companion may have helped save the woman’s life.
“It sounds like that’s what the dog would do at night, as well, to help keep her warm,” he added.
It is unclear when John, who was found about 200 yards away from his wife, passed away.
Pamela was rescued thanks to the efforts of a neighbor who found it strange that a package was left on the couple’s porch with no sign of them.
When search teams found Pamela, she was severely hypothermic, but Lucy continued to protect her
Image credits: cocoparisienne / Pixabay (Representional Image)
Image credits: Pexels / Pixabay (Representational Image)
The neighbor called the police the next day when the couple’s other dog returned to the house alone.
The bereaved wife was taken to the hospital for medical attention following her rescue.
"It rained all day Monday, we had cooler temperatures," the sergeant said. "Wednesday night, it was 27 to 28 degrees. She did very well to survive for that long."