Project Lifesaver: Finding those with autism, dementia with a 99% success rate. Hear the latest success story.
It’s a nightmare repeated dozens of times each year – a person with special needs wanders off as their loved ones wait anxiously for a safe return, and in Monmouth County, Project Lifesaver helps find those with autism and dementia with a 99% success rate.
News 12 Staff
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May 12, 2022, 11:54 AM
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Updated 709 days ago
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310ds agoIt’s a nightmare
repeated dozens of times each year – a person with special needs wanders off as
their loved ones wait anxiously for a safe return, and in Monmouth
County, Project Lifesaver helps find those with autism and dementia with a 99%
success rate.
This week, there was another success story in
Englishtown.
It took the trained police officers 12 minutes from the time they were notified
an 8-year-old girl had gone missing to reunite her with her
grandmother.
From the time the 911 call came in Sunday
evening, training kicked in. The girl wandered away from an apartment complex.
“They made us aware that it was a Project Lifesaver
participant which means they have a tracking bracelet,” says Monmouth County Sheriff
Shaun Golden. “We have over
200 tracking bracelets on participants in Monmouth County.”
Englishtown Police Chief Peter Cooke and three fellow
officers responded within 90 seconds of the call.
“I recalled from my autism training that autistic
children were drawn to bodies of water,” says Cooke. “I knew there
was a stream that ran behind the complex so I started walking along the
stream.”
The girl was unharmed, and
officer Michael Garifalos carried her to her relieved
grandmother.
“She was very happy we found her,” says Garifalos.
“I actually was going to grab a towel
from her and when I told her we found her she was ecstatic.”
The little girl was wearing a tracking bracelet
equipped with a radio frequency. If police were unable to find her in the first
few minutes, Monmouth County sheriffs’ officers would have brought equipment
needed to locate the frequency.
“We want to be sure we give the best opportunities to
when a loved one with special needs becomes lost,” says Golden.
The sheriff’s department says the average time it
takes to locate a person with autism who is enrolled in Project Lifesaver is
around 15 minutes -- this rescue took just 12.
