Missing Man Found Alive in Cornfield After Massive Search Near Richmond

(KNSI) – A man missing from a farm in Farming Township was found alive late Saturday night.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says it received a report of a missing man named Ronald Statz from a property on County Road 9. The 73-year-old had last been seen walking on a field road several hours earlier.

Around 11:00 p.m., a St. Cloud police drone operator spotted a heat signature in a cornfield. Officers reached Statz and provided medical care until a Mayo ambulance arrived and took him to St. Cloud Hospital.

The sheriff’s office is thanking all the volunteers and agencies that responded to assist in the search.

Search crews from across the region converged on the area. The Chain of Lakes, Richmond, Albany, and Avon fire departments assisted, along with K-9 units from the Sauk Centre Police Department, the sheriff’s office, and Northstar Search and Rescue. The Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provided air support with plane and helicopter teams, while drone teams from the Sartell Police Department, St. Cloud Police Department, and the sheriff’s office searched from above.

The Stearns-Benton Dive Team checked areas of water on the property, and the Stearns County ATV Search and Rescue and Stearns County Mounted Posse conducted ground searches. Stearns County Emergency Management provided support at the scene.

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