Monroe County, IL – A report of an abandoned vehicle led to a successful multi-agency search that resulted in a missing man being found alive after first responders discovered him in a creek late Friday night, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the sheriff’s department, deputies were dispatched at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026, to the area of Wiegand Road and M Road after receiving a report of a vehicle that had been partially blocking the roadway for several hours.
As deputies investigated, they contacted the registered owner’s residence and learned from the man’s wife that he had left earlier that day for a medical appointment at the VA Medical Center but had not returned home or responded to repeated phone calls. She also advised deputies that her husband was dealing with ongoing medical conditions, including memory-related issues.
Authorities said Sgt. James Vogt and Deputy Lilly Reinhardt searched the area and, after learning the vehicle had been parked there since around noon, requested additional personnel. Deputies deployed a department drone and requested assistance from neighboring law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, and a K-9 search team.
Searchers located fresh barefoot footprints in a drainage ditch and what appeared to be slide marks beneath a bridge on M Road. At approximately 11:44 p.m., first responders found the missing man in a creek. Officials said he was conscious, alert, and able to communicate but appeared confused. He was assisted from the creek and transported to a St. Louis-area hospital in stable condition.
The sheriff’s department determined the incident was a medical emergency, and investigators found no evidence of criminal activity. Sheriff Neal Rohlfing commended the responding deputies and partner agencies, saying their teamwork and thorough investigation likely saved the man’s life.
