The Three Rivers Park District is trying out a new technology this summer that could help protect some of its most vulnerable visitors.
The district has recently begun leasing four Protect and Locate devices, which are transmitters designed to be worn by people who are at high risk to wander away, such as children with autism and adults with Alzheimer's disease.
The device, produced by the Florida-based Project Lifesaver, looks like a watch and sounds an alarm if the person wearing it walks too far away from a base unit kept by a caregiver.
Perhaps more even more crucial is the device's GPS unit, which allows the person holding the base unit to pinpoint the location of the person wearing a transmitter.
"This technology is a great public safety tool," said Three Rivers Police Chief Hugo McPhee. "It is ideal for guests with Alzheimer's, dementia or autism — anyone who has the potential for wandering. With this tool, a vulnerable individual will be able to go camping and enjoy an outing with family, but at the same time the family can have peace of mind that their loved one won't wander off."
Last year, the district's law enforcement officers responded to about 57 reports of missing persons. Typically, the person who went missing was a young child, McPhee said. Each case was resolved swiftly and with a good outcome.
That's not always the case.
Over the past year, there have been several high-profile cases across the country of young children with autism wandering away from caregivers. Tragically, some don't return.