Two individuals were rescued this week after disappearing in separate forest areas in Madeira, in cases that were not related.
A statement issued this Wednesday by the Regional Command of the Public Security Police (PSP) in the area disclosed that the first incident occurred on Monday.
This incident involved the disappearance of a 64-year-old man, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and whose disappearance was reported to the Santa Cruz police station. The man had reportedly been “last seen in the Parque de Merendas dos Remédios” area.
“Due to the forested area and the initial search efforts by the station’s officers being unsuccessful, it was necessary to call in additional police resources. The PSP’s Search and Rescue Brigade and the Canine Operational Group were activated to widen the search area. After several hours, in coordination with the Regional Civil Protection Service, the police dog located the missing individual, who, although weakened, was not injured”, the statement detailed, adding that “as a precaution, he was transported to Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital by the Santa Cruz Firefighters”.
The second incident occurred on Tuesday in Machico. The statement elaborated: “The local station was notified of the disappearance of a 52-year-old woman who has psychiatric issues. Since the area of disappearance was unidentified, a notification was sent throughout the PSP’s network, and a patrol car from the Santa Cruz station spotted the missing person’s vehicle in the Santo da Serra forest area”.
Authorities explained that the “density of the vegetation and the low light conditions prevented the start of the search”, with operations commencing “at dawn today, involving officers from the Machico station, PSP’s Search and Rescue Brigade, and the unmanned aerial unit team.”
With support from the Santa Cruz Municipal Civil Protection Service, Santa Cruz Firefighters, and elements of the National Republican Guard, the search team was able to “cover a vast area,” leading to the location of the missing woman around lunchtime.
“She was in such a weakened state that she required air transport to the emergency department of Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, where she received the necessary assistance,” explained the PSP.
