WINCHENDON — A K9 unit from the Winchendon Police Department successfully located an 81-year-old man with dementia who had gone missing in Royalston after a six-hour absence, authorities said Tuesday.
According to police, the man, who was not identified, was presumed to have taken a walk in the woods behind his house, a routine he had established in the past.
When he did not return, K9 Blitz was called in to assist at approximately 3 p.m.
Officer Wironen and K9 Blitz obtained a scent article from the man’s residence and initiated a track that led them through the woods to a swamp.
Despite the challenging terrain, Blitz showed a willingness to cross the swamp, and Wironen spotted the missing man on the other side.
The team navigated the swamp, and upon reaching the elderly man, they alerted the Royalston Fire Department, which assisted in safely extricating him from the wooded area.
The man was then transported to a local hospital for precautionary measures.
