AK AK - Mary Dawn Wilson, 69 - 2-YO Grandchild Found Locked in Abandoned Car, Healy, 12 July 2022

[Knox]

What on earth could cause a grandma to leave behind a two year old grandchild in her locked car while leaving herself after the car got stuck?

Why was she out in that area to begin with? That's a question many locals are asking ...

LE said Mary attempted to get the car unstuck. Doesn't sound like she had a cell phone, so maybe she left the child to find help thinking she would be back soon. She didn't walk back towards the highway, she must have thought there was a house nearby, or was she just confused. The belongings being scattered is worrisome, wish we had more details about that.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Rescuers end search for woman days after toddler was found in her stranded vehicle

Troopers say days of searching have yielded no new clues after Mary Dawn Wilson disappeared on the Stampede Trail

www.adn.com

Alaska State Troopers have called off active search and rescue operations for a 69-year-old woman who left a baby inside a marooned vehicle 7 miles down the Stampede Trail near Healy.

The 2-year-old girl was discovered early Thursday morning after what responders estimate was two days locked in the car. She was brought to Healy where the Department of Public Safety said she was in good health. Later, the girl was reunited with her mother.

According to the public safety department, Mary Dawn Wilson is the girl’s grandmother and was watching her while her mother was in rural Alaska for work.

 

[Cuoco7]

It says she was in a "remote" area of the Stampede Trail. How much farther would she have continued if she hadn't gotten the car stuck? The fact that she appeared to walk further away from the main highway is concerning. I wonder where she was trying to go. Is there a possibility that this was purposeful? What if the car wasn't found? Something just doesn't add up.

 

[FlossyMay]

How remote is the area where the car was found? Are there houses nearby?

 

[ClaireNC]

How remote is the area where the car was found? Are there houses nearby?

It says she was in a "remote" area of the Stampede Trail. How much farther would she have continued if she hadn't gotten the car stuck? The fact that she appeared to walk further away from the main highway is concerning. I wonder where she was trying to go. Is there a possibility that this was purposeful? What if the car wasn't found? Something just doesn't add up.

No houses around…It’s a very remote area and she had driven 6 or 7 miles up an unpaved/unmaintained road. See my post earlier in this thread for some info on the area. Here’s a map: Mary Dawn Wilson - Healy, Alaska - Google My Maps

 

[Knox]

Alaska DPS
Location: Healy
Type: SAR - Missing Person

Dispatch Text:
Update July 16, 2022: After multiple days of searching for 69-year-old Mary Wilson, the Alaska State Troopers are announcing a change in search strategy and tactics. Since her vehicle was originally located, dozens of professional and volunteer searchers have thoroughly searched the Stampede Trail and surrounding area for signs of Wilson. Since discovering her vehicle and clothing on the first day, no further clues or evidence have been located. Troopers, VPSOs, park rangers, military aerial assets, trained search and rescue dogs, helicopters, drones, ATVs, and more have put significant effort into the search during the active search period. Due to the lack of new search areas and no new discoveries of clues or information, beginning today, Troopers will change from an active search strategy to a reactive search strategy. If new clues, information, or evidence are reported to law enforcement, search efforts will be reevaluated at that time. At this time, there is no evidence of foul play associated with Wilson’s disappearance. If you have information that you have not reported to law enforcement about Wilson or her current location, please call the Alaska State Troopers at (907) 451-5100.

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state agency charged with providing functions relative to the protection of life, property, and wildlife resources. Department members enforce criminal laws, traffic laws and regulations, wildlife laws and regulations, fire laws and regulations, and...

dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov

 

[Knox]

Alaska State Troopers have called off active search and rescue operations for a 69-year-old woman who left a baby inside a marooned vehicle 7 miles down the Stampede Trail near Healy.

Troopers believe Wilson’s vehicle got stuck on the trail some time Tuesday. Items of her clothing were discovered a mile away from the car in the opposite direction of the highway. Rain in the area last week wiped away any footprints that might have given rescuers clues about what happened.

“Due to the lack of new search areas and no new discoveries of clues or information, beginning today, Troopers will change from an active search strategy to a reactive search strategy,” DPS said.

Wilson was last seen at a home near Healy Tuesday morning where she had reportedly stayed overnight with friends, according to a missing persons bulletin.

The area targeted by searchers is remote, west of the Parks Highway toward Denali National Park and Preserve with the nearest home several miles away.

Village Public Safety Officers, Solstice Search Dogs, Mat-Su Search and Rescue, Alaska Wilderness Search and Rescue, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, and volunteers all helped in search efforts over the last three days.

Troopers are asking anyone with information about the location of Mary Wilson to call 907-451-5100, or submit a tip anonymously through the AKTips smartphone app or online at dps.alaska.gov/tips.

Rescuers end search for woman days after toddler was found in her stranded vehicle

Troopers say days of searching have yielded no new clues after Mary Dawn Wilson disappeared on the Stampede Trail

www.adn.com

​

 

[Knox]

Healy to Stampede Trail Trailhead is 10.3 miles. You can zoom in/out on the map to see where the trail starts to get tricky.

Healy to Stampede Trail trailhead

www.google.com

 

[btfly547]

Why was she out in that area to begin with? That's a question many locals are asking ...

LE said Mary attempted to get the car unstuck. Doesn't sound like she had a cell phone, so maybe she left the child to find help thinking she would be back soon. She didn't walk back towards the highway, she must have thought there was a house nearby, or was she just confused. The belongings being scattered is worrisome, wish we had more details about that.

I wonder if she had a phone but maybe no service in such a remote location?

I do agree that the biggest question is why was she there at all if it’s as remote as described. Sounds like she doesn’t live in the area if she stayed the night with friends? Perhaps got lost or took a wrong turn, got stuck, the baby was sleeping and she figured a road or home was just a couple hundred feet away but got lost?

 

[Knox]

I wonder if she had a phone but maybe no service in such a remote location?

I do agree that the biggest question is why was she there at all if it’s as remote as described. Sounds like she doesn’t live in the area if she stayed the night with friends? Perhaps got lost or took a wrong turn, got stuck, the baby was sleeping and she figured a road or home was just a couple hundred feet away but got lost?

Good point, I think she is from Wasilla.

 

[Stunned]

They found some of her clothing? This gets scarier and scarier to me!

 

[FlossyMay]

Is it possible she picked someone up who forced her to take that trail and then forced her to leave the vehicle once it became stuck?

I wonder what the clothing items were. People sometimes disrobe with hypothermia. What are the temperatures like there?

 

[aimeea]

I really wish they had something better to work with to reconstruct a timeline than "lack of tire prints caused by rain". Curious how verbal the 2 year old is in helping them figure out anything.

Also wonder if she disrobed because she was actively walking in rain and it was uncomfortable. Looking at the local forecast there, it's showing highs in the 60s and lows in the upper 40s, so not super uncomfortable temps but I could see someone wearing a sweater that's soaked and feeling like they were getting weighed down by it.

 

[Stunned]

I really wish they had something better to work with to reconstruct a timeline than "lack of tire prints caused by rain". Curious how verbal the 2 year old is in helping them figure out anything.

Also wonder if she disrobed because she was actively walking in rain and it was uncomfortable. Looking at the local forecast there, it's showing highs in the 60s and lows in the upper 40s, so not super uncomfortable temps but I could see someone wearing a sweater that's soaked and feeling like they were getting weighed down by it.

So why wouldn’t she go back to the car? This is sounding worse and worse!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

The articles all (that I've seen) report the baby as a girl but the WS thread title says "grandson".

Reporting my post to ask a mod to correct the thread title to say "granddaughter"

 

[ComfortablyNumbb]

Have driven this road several times during various times of the day and night and while fairly remote I have always seen other vehicles passing through. Hard to imagine her not ever seeing anyone either during her struggle to free the stuck car or during her mile long trek up the road. This case is very strange.

 

[Stunned]

The articles all (that I've seen) report the baby as a girl but the WS thread title says "grandson".

Reporting my post to ask a mod to correct the thread title to say "granddaughter"

The child is a boy.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

The child is a boy.

If so then my apologies. The ADN article said otherwise multiple times. I know it doesn't matter to the search for grandma, though IMO it should be accurate for any future searchers. Thanks to mods for changing title to neutral "grandchild".

 

[moonriverfarm]

Pics show how dangerous it would be to try to drive a car on the trail. Stampede Trail II

 

[Knox]

Have driven this road several times during various times of the day and night and while fairly remote I have always seen other vehicles passing through. Hard to imagine her not ever seeing anyone either during her struggle to free the stuck car or during her mile long trek up the road. This case is very strange.

Can you give us some details on the area the car became stuck and where she would have walked? Could she have fallen off a cliff, bears, river? How in your opinion could she have simply vanished and not be found? Thank you for joining!!