Several police agencies and other first responders converged at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Tuesday, Sept. 10, after sundown to locate a missing person.
The hours-long search involving people on foot and in off-road vehicles in the sprawling 4,315-acre park, Westchester County’s largest, ended successfully.
The 72-year-old man was reported missing by his wife. She told police he planned to hike the trails but advised her his mobile device was running out of battery and he was unsure he could find the parking lot. He told her to call the police if he wasn’t home soon.
The Pound Ridge police and fire departments were among the agencies involved.
Bedford Police Department’s utility terrain vehicle was requested at approximately 10 p.m., to assist the Pound Ridge first responders. Bedford Police said on their Facebook page that Detective Matthew Whalen from the Emergency Service Unit responded and teamed up the UTV team from the Westchester County Police Department. UTVs, like all-terrain vehicles, are off-road vehicles, but larger.
“After about an hour of searching they arrived at a section of woods that they could no longer traverse in the UTV and had to continue on foot,” the Bedford Police Department’s post said.
“Call outs were made for the missing person and eventually his voice could be heard off in the distance,” it said. “They continued further into the woods on foot, where they were able to successfully locate the missing male. He was transported to an awaiting ambulance in our UTV.”
He was evaluated by EMS, found to be thoroughly chilled, but otherwise in good condition.
“Great team work by all the agencies involved leading to a positive outcome in difficult conditions,” posted the Bedford Police.