DUNN COUNTY, WI — The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office says Wendy Champion has been found safe Friday night, ending a search that had lasted for several days. In a brief update, the agency thanked community members for helping with the effort.
Champion had been reported missing earlier in the week, and deputies had asked people across the Wheeler area to stay alert and share any information that could help locate her. The sheriff’s office did not immediately release additional details about where she was found or how she was located.
Deputies had asked neighbors to check cameras, sheds and barns
Before Champion was found, investigators were urging residents in the area to look carefully at anything that might provide a clue. That included security cameras, doorbell cameras and trail cameras, along with buildings on private property.
Authorities specifically mentioned sheds, barns, garages and other places where someone might have gone to shelter. People were also told to remain watchful while traveling through the area and to pass along any possible tips to law enforcement.
The sheriff’s office said that kind of help could matter because even a small detail from a camera or an outbuilding search might point deputies in the right direction. The request covered the Wheeler area and surrounding properties where Champion might have been seen or taken refuge.
Champion was first reported missing Wednesday morning near Wheeler
Champion was last seen around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday near N11198 670th Street in Wheeler, Wisconsin. That initial report set off the search that continued into Friday night.
At the time, the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information about her whereabouts to call 715-232-1348. Deputies did not say publicly what led to her disappearance, but they treated the case as a missing-person search and asked the public to help.
The location and timing of the last confirmed sighting gave investigators a starting point, and neighbors in the surrounding rural area were urged to review anything that might have captured Champion moving through the area. That included cameras, property edges and outbuildings near the road.
New photo showed what she was wearing and the aid she used
As the search continued, law enforcement released a new photo of Champion and described the clothing she was wearing. In that image, she was seen in a black shirt, blue jeans, a blue scarf and a blue bandana.
Officials also said she had one crutch and a wrist and hand brace. Those details were part of the effort to help residents recognize her if they saw her on a roadway, a property or on a camera image.
The clothing description and mobility aid gave searchers a clearer picture of what to look for. Deputies used that information alongside the last known sighting in Wheeler as they asked the public to stay alert.
Trail camera sighting placed her near E7390 1180th Avenue
The sheriff’s office later said Champion was seen on a trail camera Friday, Sept. 4, at about 12:30 p.m. near E7390 1180th Avenue in Wheeler. That was one of the most specific updates released during the search.
Authorities used the sighting to narrow the focus of their requests to nearby residents. They again asked people living in that area to inspect buildings on their property and check trail cameras for anything that might help investigators.
The added detail suggested deputies were building a better picture of Champion’s movements before she was found safe. Even so, officials did not publicly explain what happened between that Friday camera sighting and the later update announcing she had been located.
Sheriff’s office thanks the community after safe ending
Once the safe outcome was announced, the sheriff’s office said it appreciated the community’s help over the past few days. The update served as a short but important conclusion to a case that had drawn attention in the Wheeler area.
Missing-person searches in rural parts of Dunn County often rely on neighbors, camera footage and local knowledge because homes and buildings can be spread far apart. In this case, investigators repeatedly leaned on those tools while asking the public to stay observant.
With Champion found safe, the immediate search ended, but the sheriff’s office’s message made clear that public cooperation played a major role. The agency’s final note was a simple thank-you to residents who checked their properties and kept watch.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
