An 85-year-old man was reunited with his family Wednesday, after spending the night lost in the woods between two Egg Harbor Township golf courses during the thunderstorm overnight.
Employees at the Green Tree Golf Course called police at about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, after a regular golfer went missing, Capt. Cherie Burgan said.
Mu Lee often plays at the course off on Somers Point-Mays Landing Road.
His cell phone and other belongings were found in a golf car near the wood line. This initially did not concern employees, who knew Lee often took walks in the woods, Burgan said.
But when his golf cart was spotted in the same place several hours later, an employee called police.
A land-and-air search was conducted by New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Drone Unit, and K-9 teams from Egg Harbor Township, and the Atlantic and Cape May county sheriff’s offices.
The K-9 tracks led deep into the wooded area.
Lee’s family along with Green Tree employees stayed at the course with officials while the search continued.
Members of the Egg Harbor Township Volunteer Fire Departments, Scullville and Bargaintown Companies, as well as the Egg Harbor Township EMS, Atlantic County Search and Rescue, and Atlantic County OEM responded to assist as well.
Hamilton Township police and the Hamilton Township Dive Team were placed on standby.
Lee was located at 12:20 a.m., just as search-and-rescue teams from Camden County, State Police and Atlantic County were preparing to deploy, Burgan said.
Hidden Creek Golf Course is less than a mile from where Lee's abandoned golf cart was found. He was found at the Hidden Creek Golf Course, less than a mile from where he left his golf cart.
The man told police he had been walking through the woods most of the night, and just got to that location a short time before he was found.
Lee was in good health and spirits but was take to a local hospital by township EMS to be checked out after hours in the oppressive heat and severe weather, Burgan said.
Township police expressed "sincere gratitude for the response and true team effort that resulted in the successful reunification of Mr. Lee with his family. Our community truly came together and persisted until he was found."
