Missing woman found alive after month in forest

A woman who went missing in the Alabama wilderness has been found alive after a month.

Lisa Theris, 25, said she survived by eating berries and wild mushrooms while she was lost amid thousands of acres of dense forest in Midland, Alabama without shoes or shelter.

By the time she was found, Theris had lost 50 pounds and was covered in scratches and bug bites. She did not have a phone or purse on her.

Theris was finally reunited with her family after she made it to the wood line on Highway 82 and was spotted by a driver around 2pm on Saturday.

A woman saw "something moving in the bushes" as she was driving along the highway, and turned around, Sheriff Raymond Rodgers told WFSA.

"She called us and told us she had located the missing person. Finally the young lady has been found and she's alive."

It brought to an end a multi-county search for the radiologist student, who was reported missing on July 23., the Daily Mail reported.

By the time she was found, Theris had lost 22.6 kilograms and was covered in scratches (pictured) and bug bites. She did not have a phone or purse on her.

Police discovered that Theris was with two men who broke into a hunting lodge in Midway before she disappeared.

They said Theris did not know the men were planning to break into the lodge and did not want to be a part of the robbery.

The two men, Manley Davis and Randall Oswald, were arrested and charged following the theft.

'She's not familiar with this area and apparently on the night she ran, she went into the woods at night and got lost,' Rodgers said.

Davis, 31, and Oswald, 36, allegedly stole $40,000 worth of items that included four-wheelers, ATVS, and chainsaws.

Police discovered that Theris was with Manley Davis, 31, (right) and Randall Oswald, 36, (left) who allegedly broke into a hunting lodge in Midway before she disappeared. Photo / Troy Police

They were both arrested and charged with burglary and were considered persons of interest in Theris' disappearance.

Theris told police that along with foraging for berries and mushrooms, she drank water from a brook and puddles.

She tried to keep moving but, deprived of food and hunger, she was often turning around in circles.

Police said their first focusing was making sure Theris got immediate treatment.

"We didn't ask her too many questions," Rodgers said. "We want to make sure her health is good so we got her on to the hospital. We did not interrogate her at that time."

"We don't have the total details on everything yet," Sgt Chad Faulkner told the station.

"We wanted to make sure her health was in the best shape and in the days to come, we'll get some answers. She's alive and that's all that matters at this moment."

Theris was back in her Louisville home on Monday, where her siblings said she has begun her slow road to recovery.

"She is severely weakened, she is in pain, she is emaciated," Theris' sister Elizabeth said.

"There is not an inch of her that has not been affected."

"We are lucky that she is alive, she is so strong and has made it through so much."

Theris' brother Will said she is 'standing strong and full of jokes as ever'.

'The next few weeks will be rough, but she is handling it all like a trooper,' he added.

Faulkner said Theris' survival has been a "relief" to the entire department.

"Her will to live was strong," he said. "When you have a will to live and survive, it's a miracle."