(GUELPH-ERAMOSA TOWNSHIP, ON) – On July 2, 2014 at approximately 1:29 p.m. members of the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of a missing 78 year old male from a residence located on Guelph Street in Rockwood, Guelph-Eramosa Township. Further information was received that the male suffers from dementia and was currently wearing a Project Lifesaver radio frequency device. The male was last seen 30 minutes prior to police being notified.
An OPP officer specially trained in the use of Project Lifesaver equipment was immediately deployed. A weak signal was heard while leaving the South Wellington OPP Operations Centre and continued to get stronger as the officer approached the downtown area. Using the radio frequency receiver, the missing male was located within 12 minutes of the search being initiated on Main Street south of Guelph Street in Rockwood. Guelph-Wellington Emergency Medical Services (EMS) attended and transported the male to a local hospital for precautionary purposes.
Project Lifesaver is a valuable tool for loved ones who suffer from dementia and have a tendency to wander. It is an additional tool for the police to use in searching for loved ones and it has once again proven to be successful. “This program has been available in Wellington County for a few years now. Our OPP officers are re-certified annually on the equipment and it certainly proved it’s’ worth in this incident. We were glad to reunite the victim with his family†said Wellington County OPP Detachment Commander Scott Lawson.
For more information on Project Lifesaver in Wellington County please contact Provincial Constable Heather Nellis at the OPP’s South Wellington Operations Centre at 519-856-1506 or by email at [email protected]