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Flagler County deputies locate first missing person with help of SafeTrak bracelet

SafeTrak program Flagler County deputies tracked down their first missing person with the help of a SafeTrak bracelet issued by the sheriff’s office this week. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Flagler County deputies tracked down their first missing person with the help of a SafeTrak bracelet issued by the sheriff’s office this week.

Deputies said they used one of the bracelets to find a 53-year-old man with early-onset Alzheimer’s who wandered away from his home on Monday.

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The bracelet allows deputies to track high-risk people if they get lost.

The sheriff’s office said to participate in the SafeTrak program, a person must be diagnosed with a condition that puts them at a higher risk for wandering away and getting lost such as Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, neurological disorders, Down syndrome, autism or similar conditions. Participants must also have a full-time caregiver.

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In this week’s case, deputies said they used the SafeTrak bracelet frequency to find the missing man approximately one mile from his home. Without the tracking bracelet, deputies said there was no other way for family or deputies to quickly locate him as he had left his cell phone at home.

“This is exactly why we started our SafeTrak program in 2020. We are thankful our SafeTrak program helped to locate the missing man quickly and safely,” said Sheriff Rick Staly.

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You can email communityengagement@flaglersheriff.com for more information on the program.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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