North Carolina Man Comes Home After Being Missing for 2 Weeks, Says He Was Looking for His Phone

Dale Wheeler
Dale Wheeler.Morrisville Police Dept.

Dale Wheeler went missing on Nov. 12, after crashing into a trailer, police said.

A North Carolina man reported missing two weeks ago returned home Saturday, saying he had been in the woods searching for his phone, according to authorities.

Dale Wheeler, 56, an IT specialist who lives in Morrisville, went missing on Nov. 12 after crashing his car, police said. His keys were in the ignition and there was a small amount of blood inside the vehicle.

It appeared Wheeler's head had dented the windshield, police said.

Friends, family members and rescue crews had searched the area several times, but found no trace of Wheeler. The crash site was about four miles from his condo.

Then came Saturday, when Wheeler emailed his brother about 10 p.m., saying he had lost his phone and needed help. 

Morrisville police performed a welfare check Sunday morning and discovered Wheeler in his living room. The man was "alert, conscious and did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries,” the department said in a statement.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he remained Monday, for a complete medical evaluation, authorities said.

Wheeler's niece, Nicole Anderson, tweeted Sunday that her uncle had been found.

Police said they are still investigating the disappearance, and will be examining Wheeler's bank information to try to piece together his whereabouts in the two weeks he was missing.

Authorities did not provide additional details. 

Wheeler told officers that he had been searching for his phone and had been in the woods for the entire time he was gone, authorities said.

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