BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A 70-year-old Bismarck man with dementia who walked away from a long-term care facility was found safe Thursday after spending the night in an ice fishing house 5 miles north of the city, authorities said.
Theodore Heath was discovered by the owner of the house just after 6 a.m., Burleigh County Chief Deputy Sheriff Gary Schaffer said.
Before Heath found his way into the camper-style house Wednesday night, the owner had run the heater in preparation for the trip. He then turned it off and left the door unlocked. Deputies said the ice house was cold but tolerable when they arrived on scene, The Bismarck Tribune reported.
“You could still tell the heater had been on,” Schaffer said.
Heath, who was wearing a light jacket, was taken to a hospital. He appeared to be in good health, a police spokeswoman said.
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