Missing Woman with Dementia Found Safe, Thanks to Her Faithful Dog
By Mike-Ross
A recent search-and-rescue mission in Emery County, Utah, had a happy ending, thanks to the local authorities, a helpful neighbor, and a couple of dogs.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources / Facebook
Last month, the Emery County Sheriff’s Office got a worrying call: a woman with dementia had gone missing after taking the family dog for a walk on the mountainside and hadn’t come back for over a day. Local authorities jumped into action, with an officer from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and his K-9 buddy, Kip, joining the search along with neighbors and rescue teams, including a local guy named Ralph Mitchell.
They hit the search area just after dark, facing tough conditions: it was sweltering hot during the day, hitting nearly 100 degrees, and then freezing cold at night, dropping to 55 degrees. Despite all this and a lot of searchers, K-9 Kip, a skilled tracker, got to work.
Around 3:30 a.m., Kip and the officer heard a dog barking near some cabins. They hoped it was the missing woman’s dog but didn’t find her. The next day, Ralph Mitchell gave a big lead. He had also heard barking the day before, but from an area without homes. After checking local security footage, they saw the woman walking east with her dog.
The officer, Kip, and Mitchell split up to search in that direction. As they climbed higher up the mountainside, they heard barking again and followed it to find the missing woman. She was dehydrated and had lost her shoes but was otherwise okay, with just a few scratches and bruises.
Mitchell gave her some water and went to find cell service to call the sheriff. The officer stayed with her until more help arrived, and she was taken to a local hospital for a check-up.
"The end result is that her dog’s barking saved her life by alerting those searching in the area. We’re so relieved she was found safe," said the Utah DWR.
You are currently reading about Missing Woman with Dementia Found Safe, Thanks to Her Faithful Dog. If you've found this helpful, please share Missing Woman with Dementia Found Safe, Thanks to Her Faithful Dog on your favorite social media site, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
