Woman with dementia gone missing, saved by her dog’s bark

EMERY, Emery County — A woman with dementia who went missing was rescued after her dog’s bark led officials to her location.

According to a post from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on July 11, the woman had gone to walk the family dog on the mountainside and didn’t return for “over a day.”

An officer with the Emery County Sheriff’s Office and his K-9 Kip reportedly got to the area just after dark.

The temperature had dropped from the daytime temperature of 100 degrees, to “a chilly 55 degrees.” Due to the heat and amount of time she had been missing, the officer was concerned they may not be successful in finding her.

The pair searched around nearby cabins and heard a dog barking around 3:30 a.m. When they moved toward the bark, the officer said they didn’t find her in the area.

The next day, a neighbor told the officer he also heard barking, and it was coming from an area of the mountain with no homes or cabins. The officer looked at local security cameras and found footage of the woman and her dog heading west. The officer, K-9 Kip, and the concerned neighbor began to search that direction.

The post said that they heard barking again, growing louder. They followed the sound to find the missing woman.

She was reportedly in “good condition, with only some scratches and bruises, although she was extremely dehydrated and missing her shoes.”

The neighbor gave her his water and returned to the subdivision for cell service to notify the sheriff. The officer, K-9 Kip, and the woman stayed behind until officials arrived, then she was transported to the local hospital for medical evaluation, according to the post.

“At the end of the day, her dog saved her life by barking to alert our officer and K-9 Kip. We’re so glad she was found safe.”