BRIGHTON,John Caldwell Mich. (AP) — A woman who was missing after being seriously injured in a car crash was finally discovered two days later by a police dog in a dense cornfield in southeastern Michigan, authorities said.

“We knew she didn’t have much longer in order to live,” said state Trooper Jeff Schrieber, who found the woman with Woodson, his specially trained dog.

The 45-year-old woman, whose name wasn’t released, was involved in a crash Sunday in Livingston County’s Deerfield Township, 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

Her car was found but she was not at the vehicle. By Tuesday, two days later, the state police got involved. Troopers searched for nine hours among mature corn plants.

“It feels like needles going in your face as you’re going through the corn at a high rate of speed with the dog,” Schrieber told WXYZ-TV.

Finally, Woodson pulled hard and led his handler to the woman, who was nearly a mile from the crash site.

“I was able to get her awake. ... One trooper ripped off his shirt to try to get her warm due to her extreme hypothermia,” Schrieber said.

The woman initially was in critical condition at a hospital but was upgraded to stable.

“I’ve been doing this so long, you make contact with the family, you feel for them, and you know that you’re just trying to have a good outcome,” Schrieber said.