A 79-year-old man with dementia who lives in the Three Rivers area likely owes his life to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office – and the Project Lifesaver program.

The man, who is enrolled in the program, was reported missing at about 6:22 p.m. on Monday of last week. It was dark, and temperatures were below freezing.

Thanks to Project Lifesaver, which relies on radio technology and specially trained search and rescue teams, the man was quickly found after sheriff’s Detective David Fletcher and La Push Police Department Officer Marcus Decker arrived on the scene within minutes. They located the man about 20 yards off a dirt road in a wooded area and returned him home safely.

Created in 1999, Project Lifesaver is now internationally recognized for its reliability in helping first responders quickly locate missing persons who are prone to wander, such as those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and autism. Recovery times for Project Lifesaver agencies average 30 minutes, which is 95% less time than agencies who do not use Project Lifesaver.

Citizens who are enrolled in the program wear a small transmitter on their wrist or ankle that emits an individualized frequency signal. Trained search and rescue teams use the client’s individualized frequency to locate them.

According to statistics, one in 10 Americans aged 65 and older live with some form of dementia, making incidents like this one increasingly common. For more information about Project Lifesaver, visit clallamcountywa.gov/613/Project-Lifesaver.