A Tabor city area man is safe after getting lost near his home in heavy fog Monday morning and falling in a ditch.
Ernest Meadows suffers from a cognitive impairment that makes him prone to confusion and wandering away from his residence, Sheriff Jody Greene said in a press release. Mr. Meadows’ family was concerned about his wellbeing, and are proactive in his care. They contacted Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and registered Mr. Meadows for Project Lifesaver.
Project Lifesaver is a non-profit that provides law enforcement and caregivers a program with a tracking device to locate individuals with cognitive disorders. The transmitters use radio technology to emit individual frequency signals for each client. Specially trained search and rescue personnel use a receiver that helps triangulate the signal’s direction to locate the client.
During the early morning hours of Dec. 6, Mr. Meadows left his residence on Busy Bee Farm Trail, Tabor City. At the time that he left, he was dressed appropriately for the outdoors. However, once wandering away from his residence, Mr. Meadows became disoriented and lost. Mr. Meadows’ family learned of his disappearance and immediately contacted Columbus County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
A Project Lifesaver trained Lieutenant, N. High, responded to the scene to initiate the search for Mr. Meadows. The Tracking device receiver emits audible alerts to guide the search and rescuer to the location of themissing person. On this particular morning, the heavy fog reduced visibility to mere feet.
The searchers had to rely on the audible alerts from the receiver to locate Mr. Meadows. Fortunately, he was safely located within an hour, in a ditch, approximately 700 yards from his residence. He walked through rough terrain including fields and areas with heavy briar coverage. Deputies assisted Mr. Meadows back to safety, where He was evaluated by Tabor City Rescue. Mr. Meadows was unharmed and ready for a cup of hot coffee.
Columbus County Sheriff’s Office does have Project Lifesaver units available free of charge for qualifying individuals. Contact Lt. High (910) 642-6551 for information.
