Project Lifesaver

Sure

... somebody asked about the Blue Envelope Program and Project Lifesaver Program.

Either of you guys aware what those are?

I did.

Yeah, yeah.

[laughs]

Um, and then the, the other one they asked, well, mentioned was Project Lifesaver, and I had to Google that one myself as well, and that's basically one where, um, people who have, and it was autism was mentioned, Alzheimer's is one.

I think that's a situation that's popped up in town as well, and people who are, uh, prone to fl- to, uh, uh, eloping, like sneaking out, and like that they would be given like, um, and I guess this is a program that's been administered by law, by law enforcement agencies.

So that meant that her parents really needed to keep an eye on her and make sure she was being safe.

Now, because Sailor was considered high risk for wandering, starting in June of 2024, she'd been enrolled in Project Lifesaver, a program run by the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia.

Project Lifesaver is designed for kids like Sailor, kids with autism, or people with Alzheimer's, or any other conditions that put them at risk for wandering off and getting lost and getting themselves into dangerous situations.

The client wears a small transmitter, usually on the wrist or ankle.

It's like a bracelet, and it emits its own individualized radio frequency.

She added that Sailor was prone to wander into other people's vehicles, not just their own, though it doesn't seem like at this time they really mentioned anything about her affinity for water.

Then, by 1146, John came out of the house to tell officers that he just searched the entire house and couldn't find Sailor anywhere.

Of course, a missing persons report was filed and a short time later, the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia reached out to the Georgetown County's office to offer up Sailor's individual project lifesaver frequency so that local searchers could try and pick up her signal.

Thank you.

Now, Saylor had a Project Lifesaver device since 2024, and I think we've spoken about Project Lifesaver before, way back in episode 32, on the disappearance of 11-year-old Ryan Larson, because he had one before the events surrounding his disappearance.

But a Project Lifesaver device is a small device that goes on someone with cognitive conditions, like autism, but also dementia or Alzheimer's.

It's like a band that goes around the wrist or ankle, and it's specifically to monitor this person if they happen to wander off, so you could track them and bring them home safely.

It's known to save lives.

John went back inside to get some food and juice to take with them.

And Jordan told police the same story, that Sailor was left in the car seat while they went inside, that Sailor was known to wander off, go into people's cars and houses and eat their food.

The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office immediately started the search for the little girl using the Project Lifesaver device frequency, which as we know now she wasn't wearing, and they used drones in the air to widen the radius.

Your five-year-old daughter is missing.

Then just 15 minutes later by 12:01 PM, it seemed like there was some hopeful movement or some tracking that was going to happen here because the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia had contacted Georgetown County office, and they offered Saylor's Project Lifesaver frequency to help locate her.

Now, if you're like me and have never heard of that before, 'cause when I first heard of that, I was like, "What is Project Lifesaver?" What it is, after I did some digging, is I f- I dis- discovered that Saylor had been enrolled in this program since June 2024, and basically what it is, is it has you wearing a small transmitting device if you're at risk for wandering.

Now, it isn't like Find My iPhone or Life360 or an AirTag.

It's something that is physically attached to you that has to be physically removed and, um, that is difficult to remove as well.

And let me just say this too bec- again, because I had a little bit of confusion of like, "Okay, well, even if it was a bracelet, she could've ripped it off," things like that.

Project Lifesaver is going to come up a few times as I break down this timeline with you, so if you're not familiar with this organization or this device, I do wanna give you a little bit more detailed context before we go any further.

Because when you understand how this technology works and what it is designed to do, you really can understand just how life-saving and potentially life-changing it can be.

Officials said they want to have it fixed before winter.

Project Lifesaver Friends of Sheriff Programs Assist Deputies Special Needs Residents Article by Christopher Blakeslee Launching new programs while living within a set budget is a challenge.

Sheriff Jim Quattrone, who has launched the Friends of the Sheriff and Project Lifesaver programs over the past couple of years, has an ace up his sleeve as Project Lifesaver gets off the ground in Sergeant Chris Gustafson.

Project Lifesaver helps provide a timely response to save lives for adults and children who wander due to autism, Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injuries or other related cognitive conditions.

Clients are fitted with a bracelet that emits a specific frequency which deputy sheriffs are able to locate by a special tracking antenna.

The Sheriff's Office currently has two certified deputy sheriffs who are training and locating and equipment clients at these special bracelets.

The client and family will be interviewed by the program deputy and the deputy will be permanently assigned to the client and will be responsible for battery installation and technical issues.

Like many initiatives, implementing a program such as Project Lifesaver comes with its share of expenses.