VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Paw Paw Post were dispatched to a residence on Monday around 11:35 p.m. in Pine Grove Township, Van Buren County for an endangered missing 78-year-old male.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the man, Jack Bruin, left home around 4:00 p.m. for a friend’s house, but never made it to his destination. Troopers were advised by family members that Bruin was suffering from early stages of dementia, and his physical condition has been in decline.
Bruin had been missing for over seven hours and was not wearing warm clothes. The overnight temperature was dropping to 32 degrees, causing immediate concern for Bruin’s safety.
The MSP Paw Paw Post K9 Unit, along with MSP Aviation Unit (Helicopter) and MSP Technical Support Unit (TSU), were all mobilized to assist with search efforts.
MSP TSU was able to establish a location ping on Bruin’s cell phone, which placed him in the woods near his residence. MSP Aviation Unit used heat signature cameras to confirm Bruin’s location, then coordinated with troopers on the ground.
Bruin was located lying face down, semi-conscious and suffering from hypothermia. Troopers administered first aid until Life EMS paramedics arrived and took over life-saving measures.
After being stabilized at the scene, Bruin was transported to a local hospital for additional medical care.
In total, Bruin was missing for approximately 12 hours.
Due to the coordinated efforts from the MSP and other law enforcement units, Jack Bruin was successfully located alive and ultimately reunited with his family.
