Scent Preservation Kit Helps Search & Rescue Team Find Missing Man with Alzheimer’s

Scent Evidence K9 Scent Preservation Kit Helps Search & Rescue Team Find Missing Man with Alzheimer’s

By Ferdinand Zogbaum, Reporter

CITRUS COUNTY — Tragedy was avoided in Citrus County thanks to a scent preservation kit and a search and rescue team. A missing man with Alzheimer’s disease was found quickly in the middle of the night this weekend and returned safely home.

Linda Boles and her bloodhound Winnie with Find-M’ Friends, Inc., a search and rescue business, have a success to brag about. Linda has been spreading the word about the SEK9 scent preservation kit. She says they are a good idea, especially for special needs adults and kids with Alzheimer’s or Autism. “The kit comes with a pad,” Linda said. “They open it up, rub it on their body, put it in the jar, seal it up, label it, put it in a safe spot for if and when it’s needed.”

Early Saturday morning, Linda got a call from the sheriff’s office. They needed help finding Lad Menorca who has Alzheimer’s. He had been missing for more than an hour. He has a scent preservation kit so when Linda and Winnie showed up, they got right to work. “We knew it was just a matter of time before one of the kits would be used and be proven,” Linda said. Winnie was able to zero in on Lad’s scent only and found him huddled in some nearby bushes in about five minutes. Lad’s wife Suzanne is a believer.

“Every person with dementia, every family needs a scent kit,” she said. “The experience just gives me goosebumps to think that Winnie put it all together and we got the man home safe,” Linda said.

A good ending to a close call, thanks to a simple scent kit and search and rescue team.