Missing Chipley woman found alive

Special to the Floridan
Published: May 29, 2008

The following was released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office:

On Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at approximately 6 a.m. Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to a missing senior citizen in the Chipley area. 

The elderly female, who has a history of dementia and severe diabetes, was last seen at 1:00 a.m. at home in her bed. 

Deputies were dispatched immediately and due to the urgency of the matter, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team was also dispatched and Washington Correctional Institution K-9 team was placed on standby. 

Deputies and the WCSO K-9 Team arrived within minutes, followed shortly by Washington CI’s K-9 Team who immediately initiated K-9 tracking. 

The K-9 with Washington CI’s team picked up the woman’s scent and after tracking for a distance located the woman approximately 1 hour after receiving the initial call in a six foot deep ditch where she had apparently fallen and crawled a couple hundred yards, approximately ½ mile from her home. 

EMS arrived on scene and transported the woman to Northwest Florida Community Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

‘When you hear a story than ends like this one, we know it is due in large part to a well-organized collaborative work by both agencies” states Sheriff Haddock.  “The K-9 Team from Washington CI responded rapidly and with their assistance, we were able to locate this senior before the situation could escalate.”