Missing woman survives month in forest living off 'berries and mushrooms'

Lisa lost 50 pounds during the weeks she was lost in the wilderness

A 25-year-old woman has been recovered from the wilderness after living there for a month, reported WFSA.

Lisa Theris, of Louiseville, had been reported as missing for nearly a month when she emerged from the wood lines over the weekend, and was spotted by a person driving by. A massive search had been underway for her which spanned several countries, with various agencies involved in the investigation.

Details reveal that she had no shelter, no shoes, no access to phone, no money, and was alone in an isolated, dense forest. There were no roads or people nearby around her. The Sherriff stated that she was spotted on Highway 82 road on Saturday afternoon by a woman.



“A motorist from Florida was driving 82 east of Midway and saw something moving in the bushes. She went back and there was the young lady in the wooded area. She called us and told us she had located the missing person," the sheriff said. “Finally the young lady has been found and she’s alive. Thank God."

Theris was then treated at a local emergency room and reunited with her family. The sheriff stated that she had been exposed to brutal elements day and night, and had struggled to survive. “She had been out lost in the woods,” he said. "She said she was drinking water out of a brook and eating berries and mushrooms.”

He also added that she had lost 50 pounds during the weeks she was lost in the wilderness. Theris told the authorities that she was on the move to find a way and get out when she finally landed on the highway on Saturday.

“The bugs had really been on her and she had a lot of scratch marks. We didn’t ask her too many questions. We want to make sure her health is good so we got her on to the hospital. We did not interrogate her at that time,” Sheriff Rodgers said.

Theris was last seen in Midway where two men who had burglarised a hunting camp. Theris was unaware they were going to break into the lodge and steal things. The two men have since been charged and captured.

“She’s not familiar with this area and apparently on the night she ran, she went into the woods at night and got lost. I just thank God that she’s alive,” the sheriff said.

"It’s a relief to all of us. We put a lot of man hours into this case to find her and this is a really good outcome,” added Sgt. Chad Faulkner, lead investigator on the case. “Her will to live was strong, when you have a will to live and survive. It’s a miracle.”



Lisa's sister, Elizabeth, praised her resiliency. “Words cannot describe the happiness and relief we feel that she has been found and returned to us,” Elizabeth Theris said. "We are lucky that she is alive, she is so strong and has made it through so much. She is severely weakened, she is in pain, she is emaciated. There is not an inch of her that has not been affected.”

Relatives are enjoying spending time with Lisa as she recovers. “She has some complications and has a lot of healing to get through but she is standing strong and full of jokes as ever,” her brother, Will, said. “The next few weeks will be rough, but she is handling it all like a trooper and our family will continue to do all we can to help. We are very thankful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers.”

This article originally appeared in WFSA 12.