Yelm man who was missing for a week has been released from the hospital

A Yelm man who was found Friday afternoon after going missing a week before near the Nisqually River recovered well enough to go home from the hospital Sunday.

William Mull, 69, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia in “pretty rough shape,” according to Sgt. Rod Ditrich. But he was released Sunday, a hospital spokesperson said.

The Olympian reported that Mull had been floating down the Nisqually River with his family, and camping along the way, when he walked away from his campsite one night to relieve himself and didn’t return. That was on Aug. 16.

Mull was later reported missing Aug. 20 by his brother. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office then asked for the public’s help in locating Mull.

Sgt. Dave Odegaard said Sunday that Mull was found about three-quarters of a mile from his campsite in “chest-high swamp.” He also was extremely dehydrated.

This story was originally published August 25, 2019 at 3:55 PM.