NAVAJO COUNTY, AZ — Rescue crews found an Arizona man alive after being stuck in the wilderness for three days.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said Michael Johnson went missing after going out to ride in his off-road vehicle around the Herber-Overgaard area on August 27.
The sheriff’s office partnered with law enforcement agencies, dozens of family, friends, community members and even complete strangers to search for Johnson.
“He’s 74 years old, had Parkinson's disease for 20 years, had been off his medication for three days and lost his glasses,” close family friend Christy Day said. “It’s by the grace of God that he survived.”
Saturday afternoon, Day said hunters spotted his vehicle, prompting AZDPS rangers to find him a mile north in the Walnut Canyon area in critical condition.
"Lying in a field and he was unresponsive,” Day said. "He would not have survived one more night out there...There were tons of prayers that were said and he is definitely a miracle, a modern-day miracle.”
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Day said Johnson survived by taking shelter in his car during storms and by starting fires at night. He was flown to a hospital in Flagstaff, where he is currently recovering.
"He’s doing good, but he still has a long road ahead of him,” Day said.
Day passed, along a message from Johnson’s wife for all the people who helped save his life.
“She wants everyone to know how great the community was in Heber-Overgaard and how everyone pulled together and she wants to give thanks to all those search and rescue teams and the Sheriff’s Department that came together and she wants to thank God,” Day said.
The family is raising money for medical costs, as Day said he needs specialized rehabilitation in conjunction with his Parkinson’s disease that insurance has denied.
"All funds raised will help offset the cost of the medical bills- including flight, hospital treatment, and rehab,” according to the GoFundMe. "Any leftover funds will be donated directly to the search and rescue teams who work effortlessly to find lost loved ones."
