NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
*************************
TOWNSHIP OF WELLINGTON NORTH – On April 29, 2020 at approximately 3:05 a.m. the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of a missing person from an address on Birmingham St in Wellington North Township. Police were advised that the missing person was a client of Project Lifesaver and was wearing the GPS bracelet. The resident was last seen at 1:00 a.m. and suffers from dementia.
Uniform officers searched the area while utilizing the Project Lifesaver equipment and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) along with Wellington County OPP Canine were notified to assist.
Officers picked up a signal with the equipment and at 4:15 a.m. the missing person was located laying down on the ground in a parking lot and unable to get up. They were transported by ambulance to a local hospital as a precaution and later returned home.
Project Lifesaver Guelph Wellington assists caregivers and responds to the challenges of keeping loved ones safe when they wander due to Alzheimer's, Autism, Dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment.
Participants wear a battery-operated bracelet that sends an FM radio signal 24 hours per day and volunteers from Victim Services Wellington visit each client once a month to change the battery.
When a caregiver tells their local police service that a client has gone missing, trained police officers will use the Project Lifesaver equipment to search for and locate the missing person. The average time it takes to find a missing person with Project Lifesaver is 30 minutes - 95 per cent less time than without.
Project Lifesaver has 100 percent find rate.
Project Lifesaver does not replace the caregiver but it is a tool that can save lives and reduce stress for family members. For additional information on this program please contact Victim Services Wellington at 519-824-1212 ext. 7205.
*************************
