Woof Woof! Found Them! ... Gyeongnam Police Discover Missing Dementia Elderly

A search dog from the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency discovering a missing person hidden in the bushes. [Image source=Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “I see a human figure in the bushes here!”

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency drone team’s eyes lit up as they watched the screen captured by the drone.

It was to find an elderly person in their 80s who went missing after leaving home saying, “I’m going to the hospital for treatment,” around 11:48 a.m. on the 1st.

The elderly person living in Sancheong was suffering from dementia.

They did not take a mobile phone or a wandering detection device, so the family could not contact them or even determine their whereabouts.

At around 6:20 p.m. that day, after receiving a report from the elderly person’s daughter, the Sancheong Police Station detective team and the Gyeongho District Unit arrived at the scene within 10 minutes and immediately began a thorough search of the area around where the elderly person disappeared and the Sancheong County area.

The police followed the elderly person’s movements confirmed through the CCTV control center.

From 10 a.m. the next day, all available personnel, including the drone team and search dogs, were deployed.

In the sky, the drone’s “eyes” and on the ground, the search dogs’ “noses” desperately searched for the elderly person.

Concerned that the elderly person, wandering in the cold weather, might be in danger, the search was conducted with full focus.

About an hour after the drone team and police dogs joined the search, good news came.

The drone camera captured a human figure lying in the bushes under a bridge about 5 km away from the residence.

Since it was difficult to identify clearly due to the shadow under the bridge, a search dog exploring nearby ran over.

The partner police officer led the search dog under the bridge and soon found the elderly person.

The elderly person was found lying among the bushes on the riverbank flowing under the bridge.

Fortunately, they were conscious and responded with their name when asked.

“Search ended, elderly person found!”

The awaited news was delivered, and the 119 emergency medical team transported the elderly person to Sancheong Medical Center.

Although the temperature dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius early that morning, it was reported that the elderly person’s life was not in danger after receiving treatment.

The all-out effort involving 96 personnel including the police riot squad, drone team, search dogs and handlers, police aviation unit, regular police officers, firefighters and paramedics, and Sancheong County officials, along with one search dog, ended with the rescue of the elderly person.

A police official said, “Thanks to the drone equipped with an optical camera and the search dogs with excellent sense of smell, we were able to return the elderly person safely to their family,” and added, “The police promise to continue to devote all possible efforts to fulfill their fundamental mission of protecting the lives and safety of the people.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.