Missing Virginia woman found alive in forest after 8 days

SIMPLICITY, Va. (AP) — A Virginia sheriff says a 69-year-old woman who went missing last week has been found alive in a dense pine forest less than a mile from her home.

The Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office says the search for Aletha Gee Walton began May 17, when her family discovered she was missing and alerted authorities.

Officials say she was last seen at her home in the Simplicity area two days earlier.

Search and rescue organizations and agencies from around the state joined the search and she was found Monday about .8 miles from home in a pine forest with thick underbrush.

Walton was assessed by medical personnel and taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

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