PALATKA, Fla. -- A 21-year-old missing for five days was located Tuesday afternoon in a wooded area about one mile east of where she disappeared, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said Kymberly Anne Meredith's mother reported her missing after she was last seen running barefoot toward state Road 26 in Melrose before dawn last Thursday.

Authorities said officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who were assisting in the search, found Meredith about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday in woods east of S.R. 26 and south of S.R. 100.

Deputies said Meredith was suffering from dehydration and exposure and was transported by ambulance to a Gainesville hospital.

A family member said it was uncharacteristic for Meredith not to let someone know where she was. Her mother, Barbara, told Channel 4 on Monday that her daughter had been acting strangely prior to her running off.

"This is a nightmare that you see on TV," Barbara said. "Until it happens to you, you don't get it."

Putnam County Sheriff Dan Hardy expressed relief that Meredith was found and thanked the law enforcement officers who searched diligently for her.