78-year-old man found in ditch after seeking help for stuck car, spending night outside
A Steinbach, Man., senior is recovering in hospital after he left his stranded vehicle to get help on Thursday evening and wound up spending the night outside.
The 78-year-old man was driving with his wife on a country road near Highway 210 when their vehicle got stuck, around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
He decided to go find help on foot, while his wife stayed in the vehicle. But the next morning, he still hadn't returned.
"She was still in the vehicle and she decided to walk for help," said Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the RCMP.
"She walked, apparently, several kilometres, where she was picked up by passerby — this was located on Highway 210 — who ended up driving her home."
When she got home and her husband wasn't there, either, she reported him missing to Steinbach RCMP. About 18 hours had passed since he initially set out.
As police neared the stuck vehicle, they found the elderly man lying in the ditch, about half a kilometre away from where the pair got stuck.
The 78-year-old has since been taken to the hospital, where he is recovering. Manaigre said he's not aware of any serious injuries or dehydration for the man, and it's not clear what happened between when he left his wife in the vehicle and when police found him.
Manaigre said he hasn't spoken to the couple, but can picture their celebrations.
"I imagine she was probably ecstatic to find her husband OK," he said.
"I haven't spoken to either of them directly, but I imagine there's a great sense of relief in that family."
