On Wednesday, July 2, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a missing person near the 2000 block of SW Scenic Drive in Portland. The caller reported that a 75-year-old man left home on foot at about 12:30 pm and was believed to be endangered.
The man did not have a cell phone, but was wearing a Project Lifesaver bracelet.
Responding deputies contacted the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team (SAR) for assistance. SAR coordinated with three Sheriff’s Office K9 teams, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue K9 team, and the Sheriff's Office drone team to search for the missing man.
Using the signal picked up by the Project Lifesaver receiver, deputies located the man with the help of Corporal Akin and K9 Puddles. The man had fallen into a ravine of dense foliage and needed help getting out.
Medical personnel from American Medical Response (AMR) assisted SAR in safely rescuing the man, who was taken to an area hospital for care.
Project Lifesaver is a community-based, public safety, nonprofit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, and caregivers with a program designed to protect and, when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering.
Project Lifesaver is a component of the Sheriff’s Office Elders Safe Program.
Source: Washington County Sheriff's Office