Four days passed before a 70-year-old pensioner who had gone mushroom picking in the Kostroma region was finally located after getting lost in the forest. Local PSO volunteers shared these details with Lisa Alert as part of ongoing efforts to coordinate civilian volunteers with formal rescue teams.
News from the volunteers described how the elderly woman faced a perilous sequence in the wild, including an encounter with a bear and the necessity to improvise for survival. There were moments when she had to flee from danger, shelter briefly in sheltered spots, and catch rain or dew to stay hydrated while waiting for help to arrive. The resilience displayed in those days underscored the harsh realities of forest foraging and the unpredictable turns it can take in remote regions, where help is often many hours away. The account from local sources emphasizes the severity of the situation and the importance of staying prepared and vigilant when wandering through dense woodland to gather edible mushrooms.
“This search demonstrated the extraordinary strength a person can summon when faced with isolation in the forest, and it showed how a routine search can rally a large community to fight for a life until the last possible moment”, remarked the search coordinator, Alexey, as reported by local channels. The coordinator’s reflections highlight how community spirit and organized effort intertwine in life-threatening emergencies, turning a single missing person case into a broader demonstration of collective responsibility and support for vulnerable individuals.
In this particular case, the pensioner was accompanied by a son-in-law who initially set out to locate her alone when she did not return to the car as planned. After realizing the seriousness of the situation, he contacted rescue teams. On the second day of the operation, the team uncovered the woman’s whereabouts and managed to communicate with her by phone. It later emerged that the search had initially targeted the wrong forest area because the woman, frightened by the bear encounter, had moved to a neighboring forest, complicating navigation for rescuers. The misdirection underscores how rapidly forest environments can mislead even seasoned volunteers and underscores the importance of accurate terrain information and rapid relay of location updates during missing person operations.
The recovery finally advanced when unmanned aerial systems, including a quadcopter, were deployed on the fourth day. A large, coordinated effort brought together 114 volunteers from Kostroma, Galich, Buy, Volgorechensk, and Moscow, along with the Angel helicopter search and rescue team, the SUV Active Recreation Club, dog handlers, rescuers, police, and numerous local residents. The combination of aerial scouts, ground teams, and canine units created a multi-layered search network that could cover vast tracts of forest, locate signs of movement, and guide medical responders to the victim. The coordinated action of volunteers and professionals alike demonstrated how modern search and rescue missions integrate technology, trained personnel, and community goodwill to improve outcomes in difficult terrains.
On September 14, updates from the Tosnensky district in the Leningrad region confirmed the successful missing person operation for a local woman who had wandered into forested areas four days earlier. The search teams eventually located her, contacted rescuers in Tosno for escalation, and securely evacuated the survivor to medical care. The incident reinforces the ongoing need for rapid response protocols, cross-regional cooperation, and clear communication channels when missing person cases arise near forested habitats that attract foragers and nature lovers alike. The final medical assessment indicated the survivor remained in a stable condition after the rescue, with medical teams providing the necessary care. News of the case was later carried by regional outlets, noting the successful mitigation of what began as a dangerous ordeal for the community and the individual involved.
Earlier reports also mentioned that the mushroom picker carried by the forest risks at the moment of distress had restricted the extent of injuries she sustained. Authorities and medical teams coordinated closely to ensure a careful and cautious extraction process, confirming there were no life-threatening complications. The marine environment of forested territories can hide hazards beyond wildlife encounters, including rough terrain, hidden trenches, and sudden weather shifts, all of which heighten the need for preparedness and support when engaging in forest foraging in remote locations. The case stands as a reminder of the bravery embodied by volunteers, rescuers, and families who remain vigilant about the safety of their loved ones in rural areas across Russia and neighboring regions.