Missing EB woman found quickly

Published 4:11 pm Thursday, February 2, 2012

An East Brewton woman is safe and sound after she was discovered missing by family members Thursday morning.

Sgt. Clemente Brooks with the East Brewton Police Department said the victim was found within just a few hours after being reported missing.

“We had a call from the victim’s daughter that she had wandered from her home on Andrew Jackson Street,” Brooks said. “She is an Alzheimer’s patient and had become disoriented after she left the home.”

Brooks said the information related to him involved a sighting by a driver along U.S. 29.

“The daughter told us she had gotten a call from a home health nurse who happened to be driving by and spotted the woman,” Brooks said. “The daughter then called us to report her mother as having wandered away from her home. That’s when we began our search for the victim.”

Brooks said officers with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department joined in the search for the victim.

“Chief Deputy Mike Lambert came out and brought several officers with him to help us in the search,” Brooks said. “I can’t say thank you enough for their assistance in this search.”

Lambert said his officers arrived on the scene and helped establish a search area for the missing woman.

“The Department asked for mutual aid in the search for the victim and we responded,” Lambert said. “We got to a central location on U.S. 29 near Bruner Road and set up a perimeter around the area where she was last seen and began the search.”

Lambert said a dog team from Fountain Correctional Center in Atmore was summoned to aid in the search for the missing woman.

“The dog team had just arrived on the scene when Officer Heath Wiggins spotted something in a ditch where we were searching,” Lambert said. “When he approached the ditch, he determined what he had spotted was the missing female. She was wet, cold and a little confused, but seemed to be alright physically.”

Lambert said the home health nurse was on the scene and began evaluating her condition immediately.

“She was transported to seek medical attention,” Lambert said. “I’m just thankful we were able to help and that the woman was found.”

Brooks said family members had said this was not the first time the woman had wandered from home. The victim had been away from her home for several hours last week after she left her home but was found unharmed in the neighborhood.

“This is a good reminder for people who have loved ones with this condition to be very alert and monitor their movements,” Brooks said. “We are lucky to have had this victim found safe and unharmed. There are so many that aren’t that lucky and we don’t want that to happen to anyone.”