A woman competing in a YouTube survival contest went missing for nearly 24 hours before a massive search and rescue effort located.
According to Michigan State Police, the 36-year-old from California left base camp in the Pigeon River Forest area on Sept. 5 at around 5 p.m. to look for some water. When she didn’t return, the contest hosts started looking for her.
The group searched for her but couldn’t locate her. The group finally called the police at around 5 a.m. the next day.
“A search effort was initiated, and MSP canine units entered the dense forest, which was still damaged from the ice storm. The MSP Aviation Unit was activated and Trooper 6 responded to the scene,” Michigan State Police said in a statement.
Finally, at around 10:40 a.m., authorities located the woman in a dense area and were able to walk her out of the woods safely.
On September 6, troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord Post responded to the Pigeon River State Forest to assist the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office in locating a 36-year-old woman missing from California. The woman was a contestant in a YouTube survival challenge… pic.twitter.com/9eEdIteS5f
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 6, 2025
Despite the cold and rain, the woman was able to walk out under her own power.
“We were very relieved, and I know all of the first responders were relieved when we were able to rescue her,” said Lieutenant Ashley Miller, via Detroit 4 News. “We’re very thankful there were no injuries as a result of this.”
The competition’s a five-day survival challenge with eight contestants participating. YouTube’s role remains unclear, though it seems like the challenge was merely hosted on the platform.
