On Tuesday, October 20, a DOC K9 team from Baker Correctional Institution located a missing 96 year old Fort White man during a search effort initiated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Around noon, a concerned neighbor reported that she had not seen William Carlson at his home for two days and wanted someone to check on him. When patrol deputies arrived, Mr. Carlson’s vehicle was present and the home was unlocked which lead deputies to believe he was on foot in the area.
A K9 team from Baker Correctional was requested and they arrived and began a track while patrol deputies and detectives checked with neighbors and searched the nearby roads. At around 2:45 pm, the K9 team located Mr. Carlson about ½ mile away, lying in tall grass near the wood line off SW Briar Path Terrence.
He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital to be checked. Mr. Carlson told deputies that he went for a walk, which he does routinely and fell. He added that he had been out all night. Mr. Carlson did not appear to suffer from a diminished mental status and was reported as being in good physical health.
Sheriff Mark Hunter said, “This is a great outcome and I’m proud of the partnership we have with DOC. Their K9 teams are outstanding and they along with the deputies saved Mr. Carlson’s life!”
deputies and K9 officers attending to Mr. Carlson
