HARRISVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Time was of the essence as a woman who went missing after fishing with her husband was located by a drone and rescued by the Medina County Sheriff's Office.
According to Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice, on Friday, Sept. 5, the husband of an 83-year-old woman from Harrisville Township reported his wife missing.
"She began walking back to their residence on the property," said the sheriff. "A short time later, her husband returned and was unable to locate her."
Deputies searched the house and nearby buildings, as well as fields and wooded areas.
"Obviously, they were terrified. She was gone. As the hours progressed, we were concerned about nightfall and other things," Lt. Samo Mernik said.
Deputies launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) to assist the search, and its operator, Sgt. David McGurk, detected her heat signature as she was lying in a soybean field.
From the point the drone went up, the senior citizen was located within 15 minutes, McGurk said. It's possible she may have been in the field for more than three hours.
"She was identified by heat signature. The technology we have, we have great zoom lenses," McGurk said. "I was able to zoom in and see a blue T-shirt that she was wearing."
Watch the moment she was rescued:
The woman was found about a quarter-mile away from where she was last seen, and she was struggling to get up from the field, Sgt. McGurk said.
McGurk directed other deputies and EMS to the woman, and despite the frightening ordeal, it turned out she did not need medical attention and was reunited with her family.
"Relief. I was relieved that we were able to find her. I knew she was moving. I knew she was alive," McGurk said.
Deputies were told by the woman's family that she has dementia.
Laura Toth with the Medina County Senior & Adult Services said that when it comes to people living with dementia, there are tools to help them stay in their homes.
“They make alarms for windows and doors so anytime somebody crosses or breaks the plane of a door or window, an alarm will sound or your phone could be alerted,” Toth said.
She said it is also a good idea to alert police if you have a family member with dementia who could potentially wander.
"Let them know I have this person in the community. It's my mom. It's my sister," Toth said. "And they have this diagnosis, and at times, it's problematic."
McGurk said the drone and teamwork made all the difference when finding the woman, and he's grateful that there was a happy ending.
"Obviously, it's a dire situation. It's a life-or-death situation. If we weren't able to find her, I don't want to think about what would have happened to her."
The Medina County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Lodi Fire Department and neighbors of the woman.
Bob Jones will have more on this story in News 5 at 5.
