Shortly before Thanksgiving 2014, Dan Gasby's wife, Barbara, a former model, TV host, and restaurateur who goes by the name B. Smith, disappeared without a trace from the Hamptons at the east end of Long Island. Instead of meeting Gasby at their home there in Sag Harbor, Smith—who was then 65 and beginning to show signs of Alzheimer's disease—rode the bus back and forth between the Hamptons and Manhattan and apparently roamed around the city. For 14 excruciating hours, Gasby had no clue where his wife had gone.

After an exhaustive search, Smith was found safe near her former Manhattan apartment. But Smith's wanderings didn't stop. Following another incident in 2017, where Smith wandered for five miles and was recovered in a stranger's kitchen, Gasby knew he needed help. That help came by way of the Suffolk County (NY) Project Lifesaver program, a nonprofit organization designed to help family members quickly locate loved ones if they wander.

After Gasby and Smith met with Suffolk County Sheriff Bryan Stoothoff, who runs Project Lifesaver, Smith was outfitted with a transmitter with a radio signal that can help police locate her immediately if she wanders off.

Saving Lives

Project Lifesaver was founded in 1999 in Chesapeake, VA, by Gene Saunders, a local police captain. Since then, the program has been established in more than 1,300 sheriff and police agencies throughout North America and Australia.

In Suffolk County, families who enroll relatives in the program meet with Stoothoff to share as much personal and medical information as possible about their loved ones—including how to calm them down and engage with them, says Stoothoff, whose team has retrieved someone with autism by talking to her about Mickey Mouse.

Tracking Movement

A person who is enrolled in the program receives a waterproof transmitter (which emits a radio signal) to wear on the wrist or ankle. If the patient wanders off, police are notified of his or her last known location and surround it, using triangulation to locate the radio signal on the transmitter. Stoothoff says the transmitters are better than GPS. "[With GPS] you aren't going to get a signal inside a building or in bad weather," he explains. "[With transmitters] you hear a beep, and the device leads us right to the person."

Making Rescues

In the 10 years that Project Lifesaver has been operating in Suffolk County, the police department has completed 3,000 recoveries. If wanderings are reported to police immediately, loved ones are usually found in a matter of minutes.

One man, who prior to his enrollment had once gone missing for seven hours, was found by Stoothoff and his team in just three minutes after another wandering episode.

During a rescue, Stoothoff's team follows a certain protocol to keep the patient calm and responsive, identifying themselves clearly and speaking softly. They may dress in plain clothes since uniforms could provoke a mood swing, says Stoothoff. "Sometimes when people see a uniform it can trigger a memory from 50 years ago, like maybe their brother was arrested or a relative died."

Spreading the Word

In addition to running the Project Lifesaver program in Suffolk County, Stoothoff travels the country to train other police officers on how to use the technology and engage with clients.

"When [B.] has the bracelet on, I know she can be found if she wanders off, and that means everything to me," Gasby says. "Project Lifesaver is more than just a service. It's community policing at its finest."

To start a Project Lifesaver program in your area, visit your local police station or get more information at projectlifesaver.org. Or read more about B. Smith and Dan Gasby.

Web Extra

For more on people most at risk for wandering, read Is Your Loved One at Risk for Wandering?