When 81-year-old Earl Dunn vanished from his home in Northshore, Massachusetts, his family was instantly worried.
The elderly man suffers from dementia, and while his family do their best to keep tabs on him, it isn’t always possible to keep him safe.
Without food or water, Earl headed to a wooded area along George Street. The dense shrubbery in the area made the perfect home for snakes– something that Earl’s daughter, Terrilyn, couldn’t bear to think about.
“That’s when my anxiety really kicked in,” Terrilyn said of the thought of Earl being alone in the woods.
Officers at the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office were quick to begin their search, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
“We didn’t have any kind of witnesses who saw him walk into the woods,” Chief Jimmy Travis told WWLTV. “He disappeared, he was gone.”
Multiple teams including volunteers from the area began to search the air, land and water. Authorities focused their search around Earl’s home, which was surrounded by thick woodland.
160 acres, to be exact.
Then, on Tuesday, the team had news. A searcher had found a pair of jeans abandoned in the woods, just a few yards from Earl’s home.
When the family was taken to identify the jeans, it was a difficult moment for everybody.
“I saw them, and thought ‘those are dad’s pants,’” Terrilyn recalled. “Inside, I was torn up.”
“I just had a feeling of helplessness,” Earl Dunn Jr added.
It had been five days, and the outcome wasn’t looking good. But the family never lost their faith, and continued to send their prayers to God.
A short while after the jeans had been found, Earl was discovered laying in some water.
He had hypothermia and was incredibly dehydrated, but amazingly, he had survived out in the woods for five days without food or water.
Earl’s family were overjoyed that he had survived against all the odds, and believe that his career as a logger helped him to survive those days.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Terrilyn said. “I was relieved and praising God.”
Even the chief was blown away by Earl’s will to survive.
“He was a strong man,” Chief Jimmy Travis said. “He had the willpower to live, and I think that’s what came him alive, along with the graces of God.”
With Earl safety in hospital, Terrilyn and Early Jr couldn’t thank the officers of the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office enough. Thanks to them, Earl had been found safe and well.
“We were grateful for them,” Terrilyn said. “We just praised God that they were around.”
As people with dementia are forgetful and easily confused, it’s quite common for them to go wandering. If your loved one has dementia, here are some tips you can implement to keep them safe:
- Clearly mark all interior doors and camouflage doors that lead outside.
- Install door and window alarms.
- Give them a GPS device to wear at all times.
- Hide anything that could tempt them to go outside alone, such as keys, purses and wallets.
- If you have a busy life, consider hiring a carer to help take care of them.
We’re so glad that Earl was found safe! Take a look at the video below to see the officers in action.
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