Dramatic drone video shows the moment an escaped inmate was found hiding in the woods after a hourslong search in Michigan.
Casie Jo Helsel, 44, escaped from the Crawford County Jail in Grayling at about 1:30 p.m. Monday, prompting a large-scale, multi-agency manhunt, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities believed Helsel had fled to a swamp less than a mile from the jail after removing his orange jumpsuit. He was last seen wearing only white underwear.
The sheriff’s office called in Michigan State Police to assist with the search. Investigators said Helsel had previously run from authorities and was known to hide for extended periods.
In a 43-second video shared by Michigan State Police, officers and K-9 teams can be seen moving through the wooded area as a drone crew guides the search from above.
“He’s ran on us several times and his M.O. is to hunker down, whether it be in the water, under a dock or on a stream on the edge and just wait ‘til night,” a member of the aviation team says in the footage.
The aerial team used thermal imaging to identify movement and direct officers toward Helsel’s hiding place.
“There’s a big pile of like brush and junk and probably another 25, 30 yards. You guys should be getting pretty close, probably about 10 feet,” the operator tells the officers.
At one stage, the operator reported that Helsel appeared to be “kind of buried in there.”
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“You guys are surrounding him, good, everything’s looking good, about five, six feet,” the aviation officer says. “You guys are almost standing on top of it, what we’re seeing heat-wise underneath the wood pile.”
Near the end of the video, officers on the ground find Helsel concealed beneath wood and debris and take him into custody.
“We got him. We got him,” the operator announces.
The sheriff’s office said Helsel was captured shortly before 4 p.m., less than two and a half hours after escaping from the jail.
Investigators believe Helsel got out through a door that had been left propped open, WPBN reported, citing Sheriff Ryan Swope.
According to the sheriff’s office, the door is used by jail employees and others who transport items into and out of the facility.
Authorities do not believe the person who left the door open intended to help Helsel escape.
Online criminal records show that Helsel has a lengthy history of arrests and convictions spanning more than 20 years, including charges related to drug possession, obstruction of justice, unlawful driving of a motor vehicle and fleeing from police.
It was not immediately clear whether Helsel would face additional charges following his escape and subsequent capture.
The sheriff’s office plans to conduct a detailed investigation into the escape and introduce policy changes aimed at preventing a similar incident in the future, the outlet reported.