Search team finds missing man alive after three days
Cell phone data helps narrow search before rescue
– A 64-year-old man reported missing from his home in Pismo Beach was found alive on March 26 after an extensive search conducted by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit.
The man had walked away from his home on March 23 and was considered at-risk due to a cognitive disability and a hearing impairment. Authorities said he was known to wander.
On March 25, the Pismo Beach Police Department requested mutual aid from the Sheriff’s Office, prompting the deployment of the county’s Search and Rescue unit. Using data from the man’s cell phone before it died, rescuers identified a potential search area. Twenty members of the unit combed the area but were initially unsuccessful.
The following day, the search resumed with the assistance of K9 units and the Sheriff’s Unmanned Aerial Systems team, which deployed drones. The drones located the man near a creek in a heavily overgrown area filled with trees and brush. He was found alive but extremely dehydrated.
The man was transported to a hospital, where he was expected to make a full recovery. Officials said his condition could have been fatal had he not been found when he was.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our Search and Rescue team,” Sheriff Parkinson said. “Their tireless dedication, skill, and refusal to give up brought this man home alive after three days in the wilderness. This is exactly what commitment to community looks like.”
