The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was successful Tuesday night in locating an 86 year old resident who suffers from dementia who had wandered off from her house near Laurel Hill, just south of the Alabama state Line. The woman was missing a little over three hours, dressed in jeans and a light sweater, when the K-9 Unit arrived.
Deputy Derek York and K9 “Ranger” initiated a track, accompanied by Deputy Steve Richards, and located the lady deep in the woods about 30 minutes after arriving on scene. Due to dropping temperatures, she was very cold and a little scratched up from the briars, but otherwise okay.
As a reminder, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office offers a free program called “Take Me Home” to help make it easier to get individuals home who may have trouble communicating their personal information and address.
The Take Me Home Program maintains a database of persons who may need assistance due to special needs. The information in the database includes a picture, demographic information, and at least three caregiver contacts.
If an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy encounters someone who cannot identify themselves or where they belong or if they are in a crisis, the deputy searches for the individual by name, physical description, age, sex, or agency in the Take Me Home Program database. With the information at hand, the officer can appropriately assist the person.
The Take Me Home Program database is maintained by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Bridgeway Center, the Mental Health Association, and the Okaloosa County School District.
Registration forms are available on the OCSO web page at: https://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/resources/take-me-home-program/
###
