WKBT La Crosse, WI-NewsChannel 8-Missing Woman Found Safe in Brice Prairie Marsh Area

Missing Woman Found Safe in Brice Prairie Marsh Area

A missing woman is found safe in a marshy area of Brice Prairie hours after she was reported missing.

According to the La Crosse County Sheriff's department the 23-year-old woman left a house party at 4:40 Saturday morning and when her friends couldn't find her they called 911.

Just three minutes after that initial call dispatch got a call from the Burlington Northern Railway saying a woman was walking right along the tracks in Brice Prairie along County Highway Z.

The conductor of the train said she was so close to the tracks she was almost hit by the train.

The sheriff's department says the train conductor was able to give a detailed description as to what the woman was wearing and exactly where she was on the tracks.

Officers then used that information to search the area surrounding County Highway Z and County Highway ZB.

Saturday afternoon Medlink joined in the search efforts and were able to spot the woman from above but she wasn't easy to get to.

La Crosse County Sheriff Sgt. James Jacobson says, "She was stuck in a dense marshy area where airboat wasn't even able to get within 50 feet of her. The parties in the airboat had to exit the airboat to go get her and bring her back to the boat."

The woman was taken to the hospital but her condition is unknown.

The sheriff's department said she was covered in cuts and scratches.