Mineral County SAR members lauded for rescuing elderly man
From left are Mineral County Sheriff Mike Boone, Undersheriff Steven Trolloppe, Ron and Lori Dove at a recent ceremony. The Doves, who are both members of the Mineral County Search & Rescue Team, found an elderly man who had spent the previous night outside after wandering away from home. (Mineral County Sheriff’s Office photo)
Two Mineral County Search & Rescue Team members, Lori and Ron Dove, were recently honored by the Sheriff’s Office for helping bring an elderly man home after he walked away from his residence.
Sheriff Boone presented the Doves certificates, ‘Lifesaving Award,’ after they helped bring an 81-year-old man suffering from dementia to safety.
According to information from Boone, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. April 7, dispatch received a call after the man had left the residence to walk around their yard and had disappeared. He was last seen just before dark walking toward Superior city limits.
Mineral County deputies along with Mineral County Search & Rescue searched into early hours of the morning. Flathead County’s Two Bear Air was called and a helicopter with heat detecting camera searched the area surrounding the residence and Superior.
After several hours of searching, the man was not found. The search continued on foot and in vehicles after the helicopter was unsuccessful.
At about 9:50 a.m., the Doves located the male who had endured a cold 28-degree night as well as being tangled in barbwire.
He was turned over to medical staff for treatment and transported to the Mineral County Hospital. Later the man was transported to Missoula for further treatment.