An avid woodsman, Atwood has spent most of his years in and out of the woods of Shelburne County.
When he didn’t come home as expected, family began to worry and a few friends set out to look for him.
Davis Atwood was one of the first to follow the path to his friend’s blind along with five others Sept. 26, as it was just getting dark.
“I hollered and really thought he would answer,” said Davis Atwood.
They came upon Fredericks ATV. They soon discovered one of his shoes.
Real worry began to set into the group and they were soon joined by the Barrington and Area Search and Rescue team.
As news spread of Atwood’s disappearance, friends, family, community members, Barrington RCMP and search teams from Digby to Lunenburg would join together in the desperate search.
“There were a lot of people involved,” said Pat Cook one of the members of the Barrington and Area Search and Rescue.
Cook, along with many others stayed out most of the night following the ATV path but to no avail.
By Saturday morning, the RCMP sent up an infrared drone into the air, but prouced no positive results.
As the search teams veered off the path, things got much more difficult.
The terrain became thick with brush and very difficult to travel.
Despite the challenge, the teams continued in the unseasonably hot, September weather.
Someone came across Atwood’s helmet and it was there they caught a break as to where he might be.
The trudged through swamp that sank at times up to their hips pushing through six-foot tall weeds shouting for Atwood.
There was talk of abandoning the search until morning as night fell once again.
But as they yelled out for Atwood something miraculous happened.
“We were all calling for Freddie and at some point someone said 'hello,'” said Cook.
It was far from over once Atwood was found.
He was surrounded by marsh when they found him. The searchers made a makeshift stretcher to help carry him out.
The woods leading from Atwood to the path was so dense men began clearing the way with a chainsaw.
It took just over three hours to get Atwood out of the woods.
Davis Atwood had now been searching for his friend for 43 hours straight with no sleep.
“He wasn’t in good shape,” he said. “But it was a good feeling to see him alive.”
“I wouldn’t give up,” he said. “I had to keep going…I just wanted to find him.”
Davis was amazed at what Atwood had gone through.
“You take a man who is almost 80 and what he went through to survive,” he said.
Cook said it was a lot of hard work by a lot of people in the community who were committed to bringing Atwood home.
“I was glad to be a part of that,” said Cook.
Atwood is recovering in the hospital and after being treated for dehydration, pneumonia and hypothermia as well as infection, was transferred into a regular ward at the Yarmouth Hospital on Oct. 2. His family says he is recovering well.
Read what his daughter, Lois Ross, had to say about the ordeal here.
An avid woodsman, Atwood has spent most of his years in and out of the woods of Shelburne County.
When he didn’t come home as expected, family began to worry and a few friends set out to look for him.
Davis Atwood was one of the first to follow the path to his friend’s blind along with five others Sept. 26, as it was just getting dark.
“I hollered and really thought he would answer,” said Davis Atwood.
They came upon Fredericks ATV. They soon discovered one of his shoes.
Real worry began to set into the group and they were soon joined by the Barrington and Area Search and Rescue team.
As news spread of Atwood’s disappearance, friends, family, community members, Barrington RCMP and search teams from Digby to Lunenburg would join together in the desperate search.
“There were a lot of people involved,” said Pat Cook one of the members of the Barrington and Area Search and Rescue.
Cook, along with many others stayed out most of the night following the ATV path but to no avail.
By Saturday morning, the RCMP sent up an infrared drone into the air, but prouced no positive results.
As the search teams veered off the path, things got much more difficult.
The terrain became thick with brush and very difficult to travel.
Despite the challenge, the teams continued in the unseasonably hot, September weather.
Someone came across Atwood’s helmet and it was there they caught a break as to where he might be.
The trudged through swamp that sank at times up to their hips pushing through six-foot tall weeds shouting for Atwood.
There was talk of abandoning the search until morning as night fell once again.
But as they yelled out for Atwood something miraculous happened.
“We were all calling for Freddie and at some point someone said 'hello,'” said Cook.
It was far from over once Atwood was found.
He was surrounded by marsh when they found him. The searchers made a makeshift stretcher to help carry him out.
The woods leading from Atwood to the path was so dense men began clearing the way with a chainsaw.
It took just over three hours to get Atwood out of the woods.
Davis Atwood had now been searching for his friend for 43 hours straight with no sleep.
“He wasn’t in good shape,” he said. “But it was a good feeling to see him alive.”
“I wouldn’t give up,” he said. “I had to keep going…I just wanted to find him.”
Davis was amazed at what Atwood had gone through.
“You take a man who is almost 80 and what he went through to survive,” he said.
Cook said it was a lot of hard work by a lot of people in the community who were committed to bringing Atwood home.
“I was glad to be a part of that,” said Cook.
Atwood is recovering in the hospital and after being treated for dehydration, pneumonia and hypothermia as well as infection, was transferred into a regular ward at the Yarmouth Hospital on Oct. 2. His family says he is recovering well.
Read what his daughter, Lois Ross, had to say about the ordeal here.
