An Innisfil senior was found safe in a wooded area more than a day after he went missing.
Sally Schutz couldn’t stand just sitting at home while dozens of people searched all over Innisfil for Ken Armstrong, the 75 year old who wandered away from home on Monday.
She took a drive Wednesday morning and ended up at a wooded area near the 9th Line and 25th Side Road.
“I decided to park the car and take a wee walk up. Gotta check everything,” she says. “I didn’t expect to find him. I just said the name Ken cause I came to the end of the trail. I heard a wee voice say, ‘yes.’ I was shocked.”
Not far from the road, Schutz found Armstrong laying face up on the ground. His legs were bent against a tree and one shoe was off.
Armstrong asked her for water. She dialed 911, knelt down and gave him a drink.
“I put my coat under his head, and he had water. The cops were there in like minutes.”
By 11 am. South Simcoe Police made the announcement that Armstrong had been found. Schutz’s simple whim to want to help brought an end to an agonizing 36 hours for his family.
“Stepping in to the chief's office and getting this news is just astounding. We're just elated and grateful. Very, very grateful,” the family said.
Armstrong has dementia and diabetes. He spent two straight nights outside. He was taken to hospital as a precaution.
“How did he hold on for three days? He’s my hero,” Schutz says.
Barrie police, Georgian Bay Search and Rescue, the OPP and York Regional Police were brought in to aid in the search for Armstrong on Tuesday.
Crews looked along train tracks, in wooded areas and near the shoreline of Lake Simcoe. Residents were even asked to check their properties and outbuildings.
The family is thanking everyone who helped in the search.
