Medical Issue Apparent Cause of Howard County Man Found Dead
A north Iowa man reported missing Tuesday morning has been found dead, possibly due to a medical issue.
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office says 51-year-old Chris Dale Pitz of Elma was reported missing after he was last seen around 7:30 p.m. Monday night at a campground east of Maple Leaf, about 10 miles north/northeast of Elma. However, his vehicle was not located at the campground and his cell phone was turned off.
A search party was called to look for Pitz near the campground. Just before noon Tuesday members of the search party found vehicle tracks, followed them, and located his truck with Pitz deceased in the driver’s seat.
Its believed Pitz was attempting to leave the campground but may have had a medical issue. His vehicle traveled approximately 1/4 of a mile east through CRP ground, crashing through a tree line, causing significant damage to the front of his pickup, which continued through another corn field for another half mile before coming to rest. The vehicle was still running and was still in drive when it was located.
Assisting at the scene were the lowa State Patrol, Howard County Emergency Management, Elma, Riceville, Chester, and Cresco fire departments, Riceville and Howard County ambulances, Howard County first responders, Howard County Conservation, Howard County Medical Examiner, St. Paul’s Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, and Cresco Towing & Recovery.
