Nearly 100 First Responders Join Search for Missing New York Woman

It often takes a village, and that was the exact case in Seneca County, NY after a 71-year-old woman with dementia was reported missing in the middle of the night on July 22nd.

Equipped with the latest technology, nearly 100 first responders from multiple police and fire departments joined the midnight search through tall grass. After hours of painstaking work in the dark, the search ended in celebration.

Search and Rescue in Seneca County, NY

"On July 22 at 12:30 a.m., Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Lieutenant Thomas contacted Forest Ranger Lieutenant Wickens about a Seneca Falls Police search for a 71-year-old with dementia", began a recent press release from the Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC). By the time rangers were able to respond, the woman had already been missing for six hours.

Nearly 100 First Responders Join Search

Drones, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and even a helicopter from LifeNet aviation all joined the search, along with first responders from the New York State Police, Seneca Falls Police, Seneca County Sheriff's Department, Waterloo Fire Department, and the Fayette Fire Department. Eight hours later, a DEC forest ranger made a wonderful discovery.

Missing Woman Found After Overnight Search

"At 8:30 a.m., a Ranger-led search crew located the subject in tall grass", the NYS DEC reported. "She had wandered away from her home, tripped and fell in a hole, and was concealed in the waist-high grass. Ranger Lunt took the subject's vitals and provided hydration until the ambulance arrived."

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The rescue was just the latest example of DEC forest rangers and ECOs assisting with search and rescue efforts in New York state. Earlier this month, a New York City hiker required an emergency rescue after a 10-foot fall left her incapacitated. Check out more rescues (including a New York horse in a swimming pool) below.