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Woman missing for over week in dense forest found sitting on tree singing ‘Amazing Grace’
Published 16:09 24 May 2022 BST
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Her family have said she suffers from the early stages of dementia
After going missing for over a week, a woman in the US was found alive, sitting on a tree stump and singing "Amazing Grace." Aletha Gee Walton, 69, went missing on May 17, leading to a police search in Simplicity, Virginia. According to a statement issued by Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office, Walton was last seen at her home. Eight days later - and only 0.8 miles from her residence - Walton was found in a densely wooded pine forest singing the popular church song "Amazing Grace." Walton was rushed immediately to the hospital, where she underwent a full evaluation. Details about her condition are not readily available, nor is the reasoning as to why she was in the woods to begin with. However, her family have said she suffers from the early stages of dementia. In a public statement released on Monday, Sheriff Tony Epps said: "This has been incredibly challenging, but we are thrilled to be able to provide the family the best possible outcome. "I have spoken with the family and they relayed their appreciation to everyone involved in the search for their loved one." Walton's friends and family are literally thanking Jesus for her safe return, with one friend telling CBS it was a "blessing." [caption id="attachment_337990" align="alignnone" width="594"]
Aletha Gee Walton/Via Prince Edward county Sheriffs office[/caption]
"At first, I didn't know what to think, I was thinking of the worst. But when they said she was okay, I was so thankful, so thankful," Deidra Knight, Walton's niece said.
Walton's sister, Sandra Knight, told the news affiliate that: "We just broke down and cried, all of us. We didn't know what to think. We thought somebody had kidnapped her or whatever. We didn't know what had happened."
"Amazing Grace. God was with her the whole time," she added.
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