Missing woman found after four-hour search

Talk about it

A 19-year-old Alexandria woman was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center Thursday evening after being outside in below-zero temperatures for nearly four hours.

At approximately 7:40 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department received a report that Ariel Stephanie Rose Koenig walked away from the Douglas County Hospital.

The Alexandria Police Department immediately sent out a community notification in an attempt to help locate the woman.

The police department, along with the Alexandria Fire Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol, conducted an extensive search that lasted about four hours.

Richard Iverson, who owns and operates RL Taxi and Car Services of Alexandria, located the victim around 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of 8th Avenue and Hawthorne Street.

Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels called Iverson’s actions “heroic” and thanked him for helping out with the search.

Koenig showed signs of hypothermia and may have frost bite on her feet, according to the police department.

North Ambulance transported Koenig to Douglas County Hospital. She was then transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center.

“It is with the cooperating efforts and partnerships with the community and other emergency services that was a direct result of her survival,” said Wyffels.

Tags: daily updates, missing woman, news, koenig, police, sheriff