On Tuesday, May 20, a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K9 team located two people in separate incidents, illustrating the effectiveness of program.
The first incident involved an elderly man wandering off from his home on SW Walter Avenue. Charles Myers, 74 who suffers from Dementia & Parkinson’s disease left his home and his daughter became concerned, calling the SO. Deputy Latimer and K9 Zombie responded and tracked Charles for over a mile and found him in the dense woods entangled by vines. Charles was freed, returned to his home and checked by EMS. Charles was not injured and was reunited with his family.
The second incident involved a juvenile that ran away and was believed to be in danger of hurting himself. The 15 year old juvenile ran away from his home on NW Whitley Glen and his parent contacted the SO. Again Deputy Latimer and K9 Zombie responded conducting a track and locating the juvenile in a wooded area. He was taken into protective custody and taken to Meridian for treatment. He suffered only minor scrapes and scratches from running through the woods.
Either of these incidents could have had a tragic ending if not for the efforts of the responding deputies and the K9 team.
Deputy Josh Latimer and Zombie
