Arrowsmith Search and Rescue quickly located a missing man with dementia after he wandered from his Parksville home on Jan. 7.

The man was found within 12 minutes of the search starting, thanks to a watch-sized VHF transmitter he wears on his wrist.

The transmitter comes from Nanaimo LifelineB次元官网网址檚 Project Lifesaver and is set on a unique radio frequency so search and rescue teams equipped with direction-finding receivers can immediately dispatch and perform an electronic search.

The technology is not new but is reliable and doesnB次元官网网址檛 depend on cell service or a view of the sky that GPS systems need.

The man was found in good shape and taken home.

Project Lifesaver is an international program that was implemented in the Parksville Qualicum Beach region in 2013.

B次元官网网址淲e partnered locally with the Arrowsmith Search and Rescue,B次元官网网址� said Project LifesaverB次元官网网址檚 executive director Tammy Paton.

B次元官网网址淧roject Lifesaver started in 1999 (internationally). Twenty-six states have it and five provinces in Canada, but not every community has it.B次元官网网址�

Paton said the program is designed for wanderers.

B次元官网网址淭hey could be autistic kids, anyone with dementia, AlzheimerB次元官网网址檚 or down syndrome,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淎nyone with cognitive leanings towards wandering.B次元官网网址�

When a person goes missing, search and rescue crews pick up a radio signal thatB次元官网网址檚 being transmitted from the wrist of the Project Lifesaver client.

Paton said each client has a profile set up with a photo and physical description and information about the person for search crews.

Currently, only four people in the Parksville Qualicum Beach region use the Project Lifesaver transmitters but Paton said 26 people have used the program since its inception.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had several successful searches,B次元官网网址� she said.

Nick Rivers, Arrowsmith SAR president, said the Jan. 7 search was the first time search crews used Project Lifesaver to locate a missing person.

Rivers said he wishes more people in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area would use the program because itB次元官网网址檚 an extremely helpful tool when searching for a missing person. He said he was able to pick up the radio frequency of the missing man immediately and drive right to him.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things that I have felt in the past is when youB次元官网网址檙e called out for a person thatB次元官网网址檚 gone missing that has a cognitive issue, and the person either isnB次元官网网址檛 found or is found but it isnB次元官网网址檛 a very happy ending, youB次元官网网址檒l often look back and go B次元官网网址業 wonder what it would have been like if this person was on Project Lifesaver,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Rivers said.

He said it took little to no resources to locate the missing man and itB次元官网网址檚 entirely possible Project Lifesaver saved his life.

Rivers said Project Lifesaver hasnB次元官网网址檛 grown in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area as expected but it has taken off in Victoria.

B次元官网网址淸In Victoria] itB次元官网网址檚 used quiet a bit, they have a very large client base down. From what I understand theyB次元官网网址檝e had hundreds of successful operations in Victoria,B次元官网网址� Rivers said.

There are other systems used for locating missing people, Rivers said, like GPS, but he said when SAR did testing, they found that the GPS system didnB次元官网网址檛 work in heavy tree cover or in concrete buildings.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why we went with the radio frequency system so we could track [individuals] wherever they are,B次元官网网址� he said.

Anyone interested in the program can contact Nanaimo Lifeline at 250-739-5770 or visit their website at http://www.nanaimolifeline.ca/project-lifesaver.html.