Reverse 911 Alert from Police Helps Find Missing Reston Area Woman

Fairfax County Police was able to find a missing 77-year old woman from Reston Thursday night by sending out a “reverse 911” text to residents living in the area. Some residents were apparently irked at being disturbed when the alert went out at 10 p.m.

Find out how to sign up for Fairfax County alerts here. Here’s a recap of the incident, from Fairfax County Police:

It was cold last night as we searched for a missing 77-year-old Reston area woman. Diagnosed with dementia and other issues, she walked away from her Reston area home at around 5:30 p.m.

Police patrols and other resources, such our bloodhound, searched the area for hours. At around 10 p.m., the Office of Emergency Management placed a Reverse 9-1-1 call to the surrounding community. Immediately, dispatch phones rang with reported sightings of the missing woman.

Finally, after 6 hours of searching, thanks to a thoughtful resident that received the reverse 9-1-1 call, the woman was located on a top floor parking garage stairwell at 11:45 p.m. She was ushered to warmth and safety at the Reston Police Station.

We apologize for the late hour of the phone call; our sincere thanks to all who took the time to contact police with helpful information.

You are life savers.