Missing Matawan Woman Found By Hazlet's Police Canine

MATAWAN, NJ — An elderly Matawan woman whose family was searching for her, and who fell down an embankment, was found by Hazlet's Police canine last Tuesday, May 25, said Hazlet Police.

The woman, who has dementia, went missing in the evening of Tuesday, May 25. When she went missing from her home, her family called police. Shortly after 11 p.m., Matawan Police contacted Hazlet Police and asked if they could use Hazlet's police K-9, Rico, directed by Patrolman Cody Sachs.

When Sachs and Rico got to the woman's home in Matawan, her family directed them in the direction they believe she walked in and Rico quickly located her scent trail, said police.

Dog and trainer tracked the scent to the back of a home on a nearby street; behind that home was a steep embankment, so steep that the police dog almost tumbled down it. As soon as he got to the embankment, Rico began barking, letting his handler know that he detected a human odor in the embankment.

Officer Sachs illuminated the area with his flashlight and found the woman at the bottom of the embankment; she identified herself as the woman they were searching for. Police had to go down the embankment to help her get back up.

"If it had not been for the efforts of Patrolman 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," said Hazlet Police in a statement. "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."

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