73-Year-Old Who Went Missing Along Vernon Trail System Located In Ellington: Police

VERNON, CT — An Elderly woman who went missing along the Rails-to-Trails system was located in Ellington after a tense three-plus-hour search Friday.

Responders in Vernon Friday were combing the trail system looking for 73-year-old Eileen Fisher, who suffers from dementia. Somehow, she wound up in Ellington, where a resident found her and called state police, Vernon police said.

The search began at about 10:30 a.m., when police were first alerted to the situation. Vernon police said the 73-year-old had last been seen by her husband where the trail system intersects with Maple Avenue.

The search efforts involved officers on foot, drone units and all-terrain vehicles.

The trail system was crowded Friday with runners, hikers and cyclists. The search stretched to the Depot area off Church Street, where police set up a staging area.

She slipped into Ellington and was located at about 2:15 p.m., police said.

The search for Fisher came two days after an autistic 8-year-old boy was located in a swampy area of Vernon after leaving his home undetected. See that story here.