Sheriff’s Dog Finds Missing Man

It took Max, the Orange County Sheriff’s bloodhound, just minutes to find an 84-year-old Alzheimer’s patient who wandered away from his convalescent home and became stuck in a ravine, officials said Friday.

The happy ending could not have come a moment too soon. Kenneth Matson, who also suffers from a heart condition, had been missing for more than 12 hours and authorities were concerned that he could die from exposure, officials said.

When Matson was found about midnight Wednesday, his body temperature had dropped to about 90 degrees, but he was reported in good condition Friday, officials said.

Matson was reported missing from his convalescent home at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. San Diego sheriff’s deputies launched a ground and helicopter search and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department sent along four reserve officers and two bloodhounds to help, officials said.

After sniffing an article of the man’s clothing, Max took about seven minutes before finding Matson, who wandered into a wooded ravine, became entangled in a tree branch and was unable to free himself, officials said.