BREVARD COUNTY, Fla.,None — WFTV reporter Drew Petrimoulx investigated new technology that could help find children or adults who disappear in Central Florida. A high-tech bracelet is allowing law enforcement to find people no matter where they are, and it's already being used in Brevard County, WFTV learned.
Melbourne residents Pat and Bob Keating have been married for 54 years. Bob said he has Alzheimer's, and as his health deteriorated, Pat struggled to keep track of him.
"He was wandering and we were always out looking for him," Pat said.
A friend referred Pat to Project Life Saver.
The program places radio transmitting bracelets on people that are prone to walking off.
"You can pick up the signal from quite a ways off," said Lt. John Cappola of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
Cappola heads the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit.
Cappola invited WFTV to their hangar at the Melbourne airport to demonstrate the device.
It starts when they get a call that someone is missing, and within two-and-a-half minutes, the aviation unit can get ready for takeoff.
While one pilot flies the helicopter, the other mans the antenna.
Petrimoulx went up with Cappola and pilot Dave Altman to get a better feel for how they work.
As Petrimoulx looked over from the back seat, he said he could see the receiver in Altman's hand.
In a real-life scenario, the team heads to the last place the person was seen and they scan the area until they pick up a signal.
"Our experience has been sometimes 20, 30 minutes, sometimes even sooner than that," said Cappola.
After they locate the area from the air, they land the helicopter and track from the ground.
Radio tracking is an old technology, but Dave said it works time and time again.
Pat said she can attest to that.
"One time, we couldn't find him and I looked everywhere. I was really nervous," said Pat.
Thankfully, that day Bob was wearing a Project Life Saver bracelet and the aviation unit found him.
"It's the most wonderful thing to have to know you really have piece of mind," Pat said.
WFTV
