Volunteer firefighters found a man that wandered off less then two hours after he was reported missing.

Pearl River County Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said Thursday just after 7 p.m. deputies and volunteer firefighters responded to the area of Ulman Stockstill Road where complainants reported their 70-year-old family member had wandered off into the cold without a jacket.

The elderly man was last seen walking in the garden area of the home just before dark, Tucker said.

Emergency personnel responded to the area and conducted a search using tactics they learned in Overland Search and Rescue training, Tucker said.

Concern was heightened because the man had left the home without a jacket and near a freezing temperature was forecast.

“That was pretty serious to have a guy out in that kind of cold without a jacket,” Tucker said. “So we had to find him pretty quick.”

Two Pine Grove volunteer firefighters found the man wandering behind a home less than a mile from where he went missing, Tucker said.

“Everything worked out good and we are just glad they were able to find the gentleman before hypothermia set in,” Tucker said.

Tucker said he received notification the man was located just before 8:30 the same night.

A total of 25 volunteers and emergency personnel participated in the search. The team included Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department personnel and volunteer firefighters with Pine Grove, McNeill, Henleyfield and Carriere fire departments.