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

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.

Despite the use of military and law enforcement personnel, drones, helicopters and rescue dogs since Wilson’s car was first discovered, she has not been found.

“Since discovering her vehicle and clothing on the first day, no further clues or evidence have been located,” the department said in a Saturday dispatch.

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. The Stampede Trail famously housed the “Into the Wild” bus that was ultimately airlifted out in 2020 after a number of rescues and fatalities.

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.