SAVANNAH, GA (October 4, 2013): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police patrol officers scrambled into dark waters of a marsh to rescue a 78-year-old man with dementia they had been searching for Friday night.
Hubert Tyler was taken from the marsh behind the Savannah Cottages, a personal care home where he resides on the 11300 block of White Bluff Road, about 7:40 p.m. He was transported to St. Joseph Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The officers had been searching for him for more than an hour after he was reported missing from the home and were in the process of mounting a media campaign for additional help when an officer spotted him in the water.
Metro Police Chief Julie Tolbert praised the effort of the officers who she said put themselves in jeopardy by entering the marsh at night, some before being able to remove their gun belts and other equipment to reach the victim before he submerged.
“There is a good chance he could have died in those waters, had it not been for the swift action of these officers,” she said. “We hope Mr. Tyler was rescued before the elements affected him severely and we are proud of the work of these officers in doing so.”
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