K9 Officer Finds Alzheimer's Patient Lost In The Woods

click to expand

MARSHFIELD (CBS) - Just one look, and you can tell Bennie the K9 and Officer Rob Reidy are best friends.

The Marshfield cop and his dog have been a team for almost five years. On Saturday, that teamwork paid off, when a 74-year-old woman with Alzheimer's wandered away from her home, and into dense woods.

It's clear that Bennie and Reidy are best of friends. (WBZ-TV)

"If Bennie didn't find her, I don't think she'd be here today," said Officer Reidy.

Karen Madsen lives in a secluded home next to the Webster Wilderness. She wandered away Saturday, and her husband called Marshfield Police. When K9 Bennie and Officer Reidy showed up, Madsen's husband was impressed.

"That dog is just so amazing. They come in and all of the sudden, well the dog ran around the car where Karen was last seen and just jumped over the wall," said John Furlong.

After several hours of clawing through the dense woods, Bennie found her.

The woods where Karen Madsen was found (WBZ-TV)

"She was in rough shape...severely dehydrated," said Reidy. "When we found her deep in the thick brush of the woods, it was that feel-good moment."

The police didn't just stop with finding Madsen and returning her to her home, they've now equipped her with a locator bracelet, free of charge.