Missing Woman Found by Organized Search Effort

Some of Jacksonville's CERT Team

Jacksonville Police were notified early Tuesday evening January 3, 2012, of a possible missing person at Pioneer Village, located at 805 N. 5th Street in Jacksonville.  Upon arrival, staff at Pioneer Village advised public safety officers that an 83 year-old resident who had lived at PV for two years had possibly left the facility and that they were unable to locate her. Jacksonville Police began searching the facility, assisted by staff. Due to extremely cold temperatures outside, assistance from the Jacksonville Fire Department and Jackson County Sheriff Officers was summoned to augment search efforts.

Jacksonville Fire Department officials activated the Jacksonville CERT Team which is the Community Emergency Response Team that is attached to the fire department.  The Volunteer Team of Jacksonville Residents is trained and certified and assists with many duties including traffic control, rehab of fire crews, and evacuations during natural disaster.

The search continued in the immediate area by Police and Fire units checking the adjacent Jackson Creek and surrounding streets and residential areas. Luckily, while CERT Team members Linda Graham (on left in photo) and Owen Jurling (3rd from left in photo) were retrieving the CERT Vehicle from the Jacksonville City Hall parking area, Linda heard moaning coming from buses off of Main Street and Third Street. She quickly located the victim who was lying in the bushes, dazed and showing signs of hypothermia.  Jacksonville Fire and Police units as well as the victims’ family responded to City Hall and Fire Units assisted the victim while all awaited the arrival of a Mercy Ambulance Crew who then transported her to Providence Hospital.

The woman was kept in Providence Hospital for treatment of Hypothermia and for further evaluation.