SOUDAN — A state park employee has been found safe in St. Louis County nine hours after she was reported missing.

The sheriff’s department said 76-year-old Adrienne De Vries failed to check out at the end of her shift at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Soudan Underground Mine State Park.

Other park employees began searching for her and after failing to find her they called Breitung Township police.

Officers, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters searched through the night and De Vries was found about 3 a.m. today about three miles from the visitor center. She was taken to a hospital in Ely as a precaution.

Authorities said De Vries had walked down a trail to pick up trash and got lost.