An elderly Winnipeg man lost in the winter storm slamming southern Manitoba was found safe Tuesday thanks to a help of man driving to work.

Winnipeg police sent out a public alert for Charles McAulay, 82, Monday night. Officers said McAulay was last seen in the Waverly area but may have made his way west to the St. Francois Xavier or Woodlands area of Manitoba.

However, McAulay had actually driven his way north near Traverse Bay. For some reason he left his car behind in a ditch, and began walking along the highway in the storm.

Landon Navitka said he was driving to work in Selkirk around 8:30 a.m. when he saw someone walking in the middle of the road.

“It was pretty snowy, pretty icy, a whiteout,” Navitka said. “I saw this was someone not prepared to be out for a walk. I could tell he was not okay."

Navitka said McAulay was not wearing any winter clothing, just a hooded sweatshirt.

“He was covered in snow and ice, frozen to the bone. It looked like he was out in the cold for a while,” Navitka said.

He asked McAulay if he wanted to get his car and took him to Traverse Bay Corner Store to notify RCMP that he was found.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything too special, just helped out a fellow human being in need,” he said.

Colin Roy is the Victoria Beach deputy fire chief, and was at the gas station when he Navitka brought McAulay inside.

Roy gave him a hot drink, and stayed with him until police brought him home.

He said McAulay’s rescue is an amazing tale of survival that could have gone another way.

“Very happy I've seen a lot of stuff out here like that, being on emergency services, and this one is nice to have,” Roy said.

McAulay's son Chuck is thankful and grateful to the good Samaritans.

He said McAulay told his family he tried to wave several vehicles down before Navitka stopped.

After a 15 hour sleep he's still in pain, but does not have frostbite.

Navitka said it wasn’t until Tuesday evening he posted the story on social media and realized full impact of his role.

He explained that when he got to work, his employer told him to go home because the storm conditions were so bad.

Now he said he feels like picking up McAulay was the reason he was sent home.

LOST SENIOR CAR IN DITCH