Elderly Man with Alzheimer's Wanders Off; Device Leads to His Quick, Safe Return

On September 5 at approximately 6:30 PM officers responded to the area of Thurton Drive for a report of a 79 year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease that went missing, New Canaan police said.

The caller stated he had been missing for fifteen minutes prior to contacting the police. The man is a Project Lifesaver client and was wearing a transmitter.

Officers trained to use Project Lifesaver tracking equipment responded and the search started from the missing man’s residence.

Officer Dan Gulino led the search with Sergeant Joe Farenga, and Officers Chris Dewey and Clinton Jarvis assisting.

Officer Gulino set his equipment device to the proper frequency and reported that the signal was strongest heading east on Thurton Drive. While searching the area on foot, they located the man behind bushes in a yard.

The man would have been difficult to locate if not for the tracking equipment. The man was located at approximately 6:51 PM, .3 miles from his residence. He was not injured and was reunited with his wife.

Project Lifesaver International (PLI) answers a critical need for protecting people with cognitive conditions at risk of wandering.

PLI is a non-profit organization specializing in search and rescue programs, conducts mandatory training and provides certification, ongoing management and support to public safety agencies throughout the country.

The training includes teaching the responders how to use equipment and how to gain the trust of and communicate with people who wander, and to ensure that caregivers are well versed in the program – all of which are essential to a successful rescue.