Sheriff’s Officer Locates Missing Senior Utilizing Project Lifesaver

TEANECK N.J. – On Tuesday, September 24, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office was called upon to search for a missing Teaneck resident. The missing resident – a 70 year old male with dementia – is enrolled in the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver Program.

Project Lifesaver International is a rapid response rescue program that is designed to locate adults and children who have gone missing due to Alzheimer’s, Autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other related disorders.  Participants are fitted with a lightweight wristband with its own unique frequency, allowing BCSO’s Project Lifesaver team to locate and identify a person who has wandered away from home through the use of a specially designed radio receiver. As the lead agency in Bergen County, the BCSO is trained and equipped to deploy members of the Sheriff’s Office to assist local police agencies in locating individuals who may wander from home and become lost due to confusion and memory loss.

When the call came in at 8:01 p.m. BCSO Officers Patrick Doyle and Joseph LaBarbera were dispatched to the area to assist with the search utilizing the Project Lifesaver tracking equipment.

After a coordinated search from BCSO Officers and the Teaneck Police, Officer Doyle discovered the missing resident in Teaneck, approximately a mile away from home. The man was then safely returned home to his family.

“Utilizing the technology from Project Lifesaver, our responding officers were able to quickly track, locate, and return the missing individual to his home. I congratulate and thank everyone who helped in this successful response” said Sheriff Anthony Cureton.

If you are the caregiver of an individual with Alzheimer’s, Autism, Down syndrome or a related disorder and are interested in applying for Project Lifesaver – please call the BCSO’s Community Outreach Unit at 201-336-3540 or click here for more information.

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