Officers from the Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters received a report after 9 p.m. concerning a 70-year-old resident of Osiecznica commune. KPP: – Her daughter reported that her mother had gone for a walk in the forest near Świętoszów in the morning. After several hours, the woman lost her bearings and became lost.

The duty officer at the Bolesławiec unit immediately dispatched all patrols to the area where the missing woman might be. Dog handlers were also involved.

Bolesławiec officers add:

Fortunately, the 70-year-old woman had her phone with her. Police officers from the station in Nowogrodziec established contact with the missing woman, but unfortunately she was unable to determine where she was.

The sounds of the motorway that the senior woman could hear proved helpful, as did the excellent knowledge of the area possessed by an officer who had previously been a community police officer in that region. As they moved through the forest, the officers used light and sound signals. At one point, the woman saw a blue light in the distance. This was a sign that the officers were heading in the right direction.

The final stage of the search took place on foot, because the 70-year-old was in a hard-to-reach location – on a military training ground.

The officers said: – Around midnight, the exhausted senior woman was found, and the officers called an emergency medical team to the scene.

Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters:

The story has a happy ending, but police officers remind people of several important rules to follow when going into the forest to prevent dangerous situations:

  • Tell your loved ones about your trip to the forest and when you plan to return. Indicate the area where you will be.
  • Take reflective items or flashlights with you; they will make you more visible at night. A mobile phone with a fully charged battery will also be useful and may prove helpful in emergency situations.
  • For safety reasons, do not enter military training grounds because of the risk of encountering unexploded ordnance.
  • When taking children or elderly people with you, do not let them out of your sight,
  • Remember distinctive features of the area and the numbers on boundary markers, which will help you find your way back more quickly,
  • If someone becomes lost, separates from the group and remains in the forest for an extended period, they should call the emergency number 112 and, if possible, report where they are – they should look for a granite boundary marker (the number shown on the marker will allow authorities to quickly determine where the missing person is).