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by FOX10 News
Milton, Fla. - The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office located an 80-year-old man afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease after he wandered away from his home on Monday evening. The man, Donald Middaugh, was returned safely to his house on Michigan Avenue in Milton after Sheriff’s Deputies located him a few miles away from his home. Sheriff’s K-9 Deputy Roman Jackson used electronic tracking equipment to locate the man, who has worn an electronic bracelet since his family enrolled him in “Project Lifesaver” after a similar incident in December 2006. The “Project Lifesaver” program is designed to find elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or younger people with autism if they wander away from home and become lost. By using this state-of-the-art tracking equipment, law enforcement officers are able to find participants quickly. As the weather turns colder, each saved minute is crucial to averting tragedy. The above mentioned search began Monday evening when the wife of Middaugh called and stated that her husband had left earlier for a walk and had not returned home. Deputies immediately headed toward the elderly man’s home, where he was last seen. After learning that Middaugh was now a participant in “Project Lifesaver”, they retrieved their tracking equipment and began to track Middaugh. K-9 Deputy Roman Jackson picked up a signal from the bracelet worn by the man. Jackson, assisted by other deputies, located the elderly man shortly after.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is proud to be involved in this cooperative partnership with “Project Lifesaver”, which is the only program based upon an exclusive partnership with local Sheriff, Police, Fire and other public safety agencies. Agencies are trained and equipped by “Project Lifesaver” in order to accomplish this critical life saving mission. “Project Lifesaver” is a rapidly growing nationwide program aiding the victims and families suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related disorders such as Down's Syndrome and Autism. “Project Lifesaver” uses state-of-the-art technology employing wristband transmitters to locate wandering and lost adults and children. People who participate in the “Project Lifesaver” program wear a personalized bracelet that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local “Project Lifesaver” agency that the person is missing, law enforcement and emergency personnel respond to the wanderer's area and start searching with a locater tracking system.
Local families of individuals suffering from this illness are urged to enroll their loved ones in this program. Anyone requesting information about enrolling their family members in this program can contact Alzheimer’s Family Services 850-478-7790.
http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=5192607&version=1&locale=EN-US
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