Several law enforcement and public safety agencies teamed up last Friday to locate a missing elderly woman with dementia who had disappeared on foot as night fell amid freezing temperatures in Centralia.
According to a news release from the Centralia Police Department, Centralia officers and detectives quickly responded to the report and began searching nearby local businesses.
They spoke with the missing woman’s family and associates.
Soon after, personnel from the Riverside Fire Authority arrived to search parks and other public spaces, while volunteers with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) helped organize the search efforts.
Meanwhile, Chehalis police checked businesses the woman had visited that day.
Overhead, a drone scanned the vicinity of the woman’s last known whereabouts.
Online, authorities shared an advisory on social media. Other law enforcement agencies received notice. Lewis County 911 Communications prepared a county alert.
The combined efforts paid off.
“Ultimately, the woman was located (unharmed) by a community member several miles from where she was last seen,” the Centralia Police Department stated.
She was evaluated at Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the release.
The search lasted less than two hours, police said.
“The Centralia Police Department extends its deepest gratitude to our community partners for their quick response and assistance,” the release states.
