Missing Matawan Woman With Dementia Located By Hazlet PD

HAZLET, NJ - An elderly Matawan woman with dementia who was reported missing last month has been safely located by a Hazlet police officer and his K-9 Rico.

The woman, who was not identified in a social media post by the Hazlet Township Police Department, was found at the bottom of a steep embankment behind a neighboring residence.

On May 25 at around 11 p.m., Ptl. Cody Sachs and his partner K-9 Rico were dispatched to Matawan to assist in locating the missing resident.

“Upon arrival, Ptl. Sachs met with Ptl. Sheehan of Matawan PD and performed a sweep of the residence to ensure the female was not hiding inside,” the department wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “Once it was confirmed the female was not inside, the family directed Ptl. Sachs and K-9 Rico in the direction they believed the female walked in.”

After a search of the area yielded no positive results, Ptl. Sachs and K-9 Rico began checking the opposite direction where K-9 Rico quickly located a scent trail. Ptl. Sachs and K-9 Rico continued to track the scent to a residence on a nearby street.

In the rear of the residence was a steep embankment in which K-9 Rico almost fell, the department wrote. K-9 Rico began to bark in order to alert Ptl. Sachs that he detected a human odor in the area.

Ptl. Sachs illuminated the embankment with his flashlight and observed a female at the bottom of the pit. The female identified herself as the missing woman they were searching for. Ptl. Sheehan then climbed to the bottom of the embankment to administer aid to the woman.

“If it had not been for the efforts of Ptl. Sachs and K-9 Rico, this woman would not have been found in a timely manner which could have resulted in much more serious injuries or consequences,” the Hazlet Township Police Department wrote. “Everyone here at the Hazlet Township Police Department is very proud of Ptl. Sachs and K-9 Rico’s diligence and dedication to finding this missing woman.”