Project Lifesaver bracelet helps locate elderly quickly

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - One East Texas man is safe at home again after disappearing this morning. Authorities say they found him quickly thanks to a transmitter.

Authorities found him at a local Tyler bakery at the intersection of East Line Street and North Beckham Avenue. He walked .6 miles from his home. Authorities found him safe, enjoying a coffee and a snack.

This morning, authorities were dispatched for a missing 81-year-old East Texan named Aurelino Ramirez. The search ended quickly and successfully thanks to bracelet that emits a specific radio frequency to law enforcement when someone is lost.

“It’s good. I recommend it to people who need it. People who need to take care of their parents who are dealing with the same issues because it’s really good. It’s helpful because you can find them quickly and easier,” son, Jorge Ramirez said.

Aurelino has dementia and has disappeared three times in the past. However, this time he had this lifesaving bracelet. Authorities found him safe at a local bakery in under an hour.

“Now that I’ve found this, it’s great! It’s a one-time payment,” Ramirez said.

This bracelet is part of project lifesaver. The device is a radio transmitter that goes on the wrist of an adult living with an intellectual disability.

“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. You just never know where someone is going to walk or drive to. It really is a lifesaving tool,” Program Director of The Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County, Jamie Huff said.

The Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County offers a one time fee for this device. While performing a triangular search, authorities say the bracelet can save lives.

“Now I don’t need to relay on my eyes, I relay on just listening for that chirp…and once I pick that chirp, its just a matter of going that way. The more of these that you have out the better,” Tyler Police Department Sergeant, Matt Leigeber said.

Huff says this was the first search using this new equipment. She says the average time to find someone is 30 minutes or less.

Officials say the battery lasts two months. Before the batteries die, volunteers go to the owner’s homes to replace them and keep them in good standing.

For more information on how you can learn about this product, click here.

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