The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Lost state police dog found safe and sound
DANBURY — A state police bloodhound who bolted from his handler during a searchand-rescue operation on Wednesday was found Friday afternoon after more than 100 volunteers spent 36 hours scouring the area near Wooster Mountain State Park.
A Homeland Security agent found the dog with his leash caught on a fence on Limestone Road in Ridgefield, police said. Police video showed the dog, whose name is Texas, happily greeting his handler and other police personnel.
Texas had disappeared during a search near the state park for a 42-year-old man with autism who ran into the woods around 1 p.m. Wednesday after an argument with his mother. Police confirmed Friday the man, who has not been identified, was tracked down that night by another police bloodhound, Zeus.
The search for the missing bloodhound eventually included volunteers, both civilian and law enforcement, on foot and horse, on mountain bikes and ATVs, assisted by drones and helicopters. Police from points as distant as Enfield, New London, Meriden and the University of Connecticut took part.
Police were originally called around 1 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. The Danbury Fire Department was asked to join the effort around 3 p.m., and firefighters launched a full-scale land search that ended around 5 p.m. as darkness descended on the area.
Members of the State Police were called in around 6 p.m., officials said. Trooper One — a State Police helicopter with infrared cameras — arrived nearly two hours later.
Kim Mack Rosenberg, president of the National Autism Association’s New York City chapter, said it was unacceptable for police to wait two hours before seeking help.
“A two-hour delay is an incredibly long time to wait for assistance, particularly for someone who has an impairment and may be lost in the woods,” she said. “What you want to do is bring as many resources that are available to the scene as quickly as possible.”
The several water bodies in the area posed an additional danger, Rosenberg said, adding more than 70 percent of fatalities among autistic people who get lost or are missing result from drowning.