Project Lifesaver helps Hanover deputies find missing child

HANOVER, Va. (WWBT) -The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is sharing a success story from its Project Lifesaver program after deputies quickly tracked down an autistic child who wandered away from home.

Earlier this week, deputies got a call that a young boy who is nonverbal and autistic had wandered from home into a wooded area. Sgt. Steve Wills said no one saw exactly which direction the child went, making it difficult to know where to start.

“When he slipped out the house, unfortunately, nobody saw exactly which direction he went in. So it would have been shooting in the dark to try to guess which way he went,” Wills said.

But deputies said there was good news: the child was enrolled in Project Lifesaver and was wearing a tracker transmitter on his wrist.

Deputies used a receiver to pick up the transmitter signal, narrowed in on his location and found him safe in about 23 minutes after arriving on scene.

The sheriff’s office says Project Lifesaver can be a major help for people with cognitive conditions who may be prone to wandering or eloping, including Alzheimer’s, dementia, Down syndrome, autism and traumatic brain injuries.

“The reality is if you have a condition or a loved one with one of these conditions and they have a tendency to wander or elope and disappear, then this is an extremely valuable tool for us so that we can quickly get there and save lives,” Wills said.

Here’s how it works: participants wear a small transmitter on the wrist or ankle. If that person is reported missing, deputies use tracking equipment to pick up the signal and narrow down which direction to go.

Lt. Regina Murphy said deputies listen for a chirping sound as they get closer to the transmitter.

“What we’re listening for is a chirp sound so by hearing the chirp then I know that we’re one in a half to 2 miles away from the person,” Murphy said.

During a demonstration with the On Your Side Safety Team, Murphy tracked a transmitter watch placed in a random spot and found it within a couple of minutes.

The sheriff’s office says time matters in situations like this because things can go bad fast, especially if it’s cold outside or if someone ends up near a body of water.

Wills urged families with concerns about a loved one wandering to sign up.

“Those factors change really how much time we have to find somebody safely before they could have an unfortunate ending. So I highly stress that if you have concerns about a loved one, don’t wait and don’t hesitate. This is a free program. Take advantage of it,” Wills said.

To enroll a loved one in Hanover’s Project Lifesaver program, or donate to the sheriff’s office, contact them at 804-365-6268 or reach out directly to Sgt. Troy Payne at twpayne@hanovercounty.gov.