On Saturday, July 11, many people were relaxing at home and perhaps cooking out in the near perfect weather, however, members of multiple area law enforcement agencies were scrambling around looking for a missing 72-year-old woman who was known to have dementia.
At just after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, deputies with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department responded to the 2600 block of Brim Road in Northeast Guilford County after the department was notified that an elderly lady with dementia, last seen on foot, had gone missing about two hours earlier.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they searched the area around the residence and called in the help of the K-9 units – but to no avail. They couldn’t find the woman.
The search was then expanded into the Greensboro city limits to an area near East Cone Boulevard, though the Sheriff’s Department didn’t specify what led them to that location.
The Greensboro Police Department joined the search, as did officers from other area agencies including the Guilford County Fire Rescue All Terrain Vehicle Team and the NC State Highway Patrol Air Unit.
The big break in the case came when a Sheriff’s Department deputy questioned one of the woman’s neighbors and learned she’d been given a ride to a bus stop in Greensboro. Later, the 72-year-old dementia patient was found – safe and sound fortunately – at the bus depot in downtown Greensboro by members of the Greensboro Police Department.
She was reunited with her happy and relieved family.
The Sheriff’s Department’s K-9’s have proven to be pretty good at sniffing people out, but when someone, as in this case, gets into a vehicle, the pups are up against a wall.
In 2019, the dogs were used in 57 tracking efforts and 29 missing persons cases.
I assume they were looking for my wife…..and her sister.
So glad she was found safe and sound! In case everyone forgot I’d like to say THANK YOU FIRST RESPONDERS !!!!!!! That includes our Police and K9, Hwy Patrol,Fire,and EMS. So glad you are ALL willing to give up your time with your family to help others. I know for a fact you’re not in it for the money!
How wonderful she was found! God bless all who worked to find her and return her safe and sound.
Guilford County through the Sheriff’s Department has a low-cost safe return program called Project Lifesaver for people with dementia/autism or other brain disorders which may cause them to wander. There is information online or contact their non-emergency line for more information – Tim Mabe, 336-373-2222.