RICHMOND, Va.—A New Jersey woman and her 5-year-old great-granddaughter have been found alive in secluded woods in rural Virginia, apparently stranded there for days after disappearing on a holiday road trip, authorities said.
Seventy-one-year-old Barbara Briley was unconscious when she was found Wednesday afternoon with her great-granddaughter La'Myra Briley in Dinwiddie County at least a mile from a paved road, Virginia State Police said. The girl was reported to be alert and unhurt.
Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement that the two were near their vehicle, stuck on a dirt road on private property, where a man found them. Authorities said it appears the two had snacks and drinks to get by.
The Brileys had been the focus of a multistate search, and police added that no foul play was suspected in the disappearance. The county where the two were is in an area south of Richmond, Virginia’s capital.
Barbara Briley was flown by helicopter to VCU Medical Center in Richmond where she was in serious condition, police said. Authorities said the child received a medical evaluation before being reunited with a family member.
The property owner spotted the car from a distance and went to check on it, authorities said. Maj. William Knott of the Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office said the man had seen news reports about the missing travelers, realized who the Brileys were and called 911.
“This person probably saved them,” Knott said.
The Brileys had left New Jersey on Christmas Eve to visit relatives in North Carolina but never arrived. They were last seen Saturday at a gas station in Ruther Glen, Virginia, about 30 miles north of Richmond.
Surveillance video from the gas station shows Barbara Briley walking inside about 5:40 p.m. Saturday. She exits and re-enters before eventually pulling away just after 6 p.m., authorities said.
