Police say they tracked and located a 79-year-old man Thurton Road reported missing Saturday night using special equipment supplied by a Port St. Lucie, Fla.-based nonprofit organization.
New Canaan Police Officer Dan Gulino. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Police Department
At about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, New Canaan police received a report that the man, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, had been missing for 15 minutes, according to a press release issued by Lt. Carol Ogrinc.
New Canaan Police Sgt. Joe Farenga. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Police Department
“The man is a Project Lifesaver client and was wearing a transmitter,” Ogrinc said. “Officers trained to use Project Lifesaver tracking equipment responded and the search started from the missing man’s residence.”
The search was led by Officer Dan Gulino and Sgt. Joe Farenga, with assistance from Officers Chris Dewey and Clinton Jarvis, Ogrinc said.
New Canaan Police Officer Chris Dewey. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Police Department
“Officer Gulino set his equipment device to the proper frequency and reported that the signal was strongest heading east on Thurton Drive,” she said. “While searching the area on foot, they located the man behind bushes in a yard. The man would have been difficult to locate if not for the tracking equipment. The man was located at approximately 6:51 p.m., .3 miles from his residence. He was not injured and was reunited with his wife.”
Newly sworn-in NCPD Officer Clinton Jarvis signs the oath book at the New Canaan Town Clerk’s office, on April 28, 2015. Credit: Michael Dinan
Project Lifesaver International answers a critical need for protecting people with cognitive conditions at risk of wandering. For more information, please visit www.projectlifesaver.org, www.newcanaanpolice.org or contact Lieutenant Carol Ogrinc at 203-594-3500 – carol.ogrinc@newcanaanct.gov