Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were able to locate a missing man with Alzheimer’s within approximately four minutes this morning, thanks to the fact he was a “Project Lifesaver” client.

Deputies responded to a home on Brian Circle in Mary Esther around 11 a.m. after getting a report of a missing 70 year old man who had last been seen about fifteen minutes earlier in his back yard. Once they learned he was signed up for Project Lifesaver, they were able to use search equipment to locate him in an area about 1000 yards from his home.

Project Lifesaver technology uses a tracking device to pick up signals from a personalized radio transmitter placed on a person’s arm or leg. It can help drastically reduce search times for individuals with autism, dementia, or any cognitive disorders who are at risk of wandering away from home and potentially being unable to provide information on their identity or address. That saved time can correlate to saved lives in some situations.

For more information go to Project Lifesaver’s website or contact Sgt. Jason Fulghum at the OCSO.