A 25-year-old Immokalee woman who was reported missing Tuesday night was found within 10 minutes by a Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputy who traced her location using Project Lifesaver.
“That she was recovered quickly and returned to her family is a testament to why we have Project Lifesaver and its value,” said Angela Larson, supervisor of the Victim and Senior Advocacy Unit at the Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the program.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has had Project Lifesaver since 2008. The program helps locate individuals with medical or disabling conditions that may cause them to wander away. Clients receive a tracking bracelet that emits a radio signal. This signal allows deputies to locate missing people wearing the bracelet.
Around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday the woman’s mother told deputies that she had not seen her daughter, who has a Project Lifesaver bracelet, since 6 p.m. She didn’t know her daughter’s whereabouts.
A deputy who is a certified electronic search specialist hooked up the Project Lifesaver equipment and within 10 minutes located the missing woman at the corner of South 3rd Street and Colorado Avenue, less than a mile from her home.
She was safely returned to her home.
More than 2,600 searches nationwide have been completed using Project Lifesaver equipment. On average it takes 30 minutes to locate a person using the tracking equipment. It saves valuable time and resources to find wandering adults and seniors.
The program requires the participant to have a full time caregiver who will check the battery in the tracking bracelet and call 911 immediately if a client wanders.
Thanks to the Pilot Club of Naples, a limited number of transmitters are available at a reduced cost to any member of the public who cannot afford to purchase a transmitter themselves. The availability is on a first-come-first-served basis. There is a monthly fee of $10, which covers the cost of a battery and bracelet change.
