MACHIAS – A man was found dead Wednesday afternoon buried under a pile of snow near a local hospital where he had been treated and then released the night before.

Reed Emery, 60, of Eastport was discovered by game wardens and police at about 1:30 p.m., 400 yards behind Downeast Community Hospital, according to a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Emery had checked out of the Machias hospital at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday and left on foot, DIF&W spokeswoman Deborah Turcotte said Wednesday.

WLBZ 2 stated Wednesday that the Maine Warden Service reported Emery was delusional and wearing slippers and a light shirt when he checked himself out during a snow storm.

When he didn’t arrive at home, a search began.

Nine game wardens and an aircraft were dispatched to the Machias area to look for Emery, along with police from Eastport and Machias and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

Police eventually found the man a short distance from where he had been treated less than 24 hours before.

“It looks like he just laid down in the snow to rest,” Turcotte said. Foul play is not suspected.

The Machias area received about 10 inches of snow overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, and temperatures were well below freezing.

Turcotte didn’t know why Emery went to the hospital Tuesday.

Robin Popp, spokesperson for Downeast Community Hospital, said Wednesday evening that Emery had signed himself out of the hospital.

“Throughout the day we cooperated with local law enforcement in locating him,” Popp said. “Obviously this is a tragic situation. Our heart goes out to his family.”

The case has been turned over to the Maine State Police.

State police spokesman Stephen McCausland said late Wednesday he wasn’t aware of Emery’s death but said an investigation likely will begin.

“Most likely the state medical examiner’s office will do an autopsy to determine his cause of death,” he said.

Turcotte said Emery has a son who is a member of the Eastport Police Department, whose chief, Matt Vincent, found Emery’s body.

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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