Found Deceased WA - Julie Montague Ayers, 67, got separated from her partner while walking the dog, has dementia, Mt Baker Natl Forest, Kendall, 10 Mar 2023

[RickshawFan]

I'm really surprised they haven't found JA's coat. It seems to be quite striking. I think maybe I wouldn't expect it to stay on her in a confused state (does it even have buttons?), but strange they haven't seen it.

 

[Lilibet]

I appreciated that her husband had the humility to admit that he erred in leaving Julie alone to chase after the dog. I’m sure he’s second-guessing himself about a lot of decisions that day. I’m sure it’s a delicate balance navigating life with a mate with dementia, never quite sure of their abilities from one day to the next. And trying to let them keep their dignity all the while trying to keep them safe. Being in our late 70s, I hope neither my husband nor I have to walk that path together. My heart goes out to Julie’s husband and family as I learn from them and those here with more experience than I.

 

[Aloe]

SAR isn't exclusive to trail areas. They search in town, too. They train for dementia searches. Around here, you can't qualify for SAR without that training.

Ending a search after 4 days wouldn't be unusual at all; in many cases, SAR can have determined that the case is a recovery and not a rescue. They may have determined that continuing is too risky for members, at least at the moment. Algorithms are used to determine probabilities of a successful search, as well as the experience of the SAR lead, and the risk to SAR members.

From articles/LE statements ^^^^, it's clear the dementia was not mild, and JA unfortunately had a history of getting lost. She had been retired from her job as a pastor because of the dementia.

Although JA might have made it off the trail, there's no "safely" that goes along with that possibility, unfortunately. There are lakes, busy roads, complicated streets, no food, cold at night and not dressed for it....not to mention, more trails.

Hoping volunteers will help the family with her recovery <3

 

[Stunned]

Hoping volunteers will help the family with her recovery <3

I hope family isn’t involved in her recovery. I would think it would be fairly unpleasant after all this time.

 

[Happypetitvieux01]

Need to clarify, not sure if I get it correctly.

Husband and wife with dementia were planning to walk 3 miles from home to the trails, walk the trails back and forth - how many miles? - and walk again 3 miles to get back home.
Is it right?

If so, is it realistic? Can someone with dementia walk 6 miles + trails?
Were they often doing that same walk? I guess it was not the first time?
Were they always walking trails with the dog? Was he used to go by his own?

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Need to clarify, not sure if I get it correctly.

Husband and wife with dementia were planning to walk 3 miles from home to the trails, walk the trails back and forth - how many miles? - and walk again 3 miles to get back home.
Is it right?

If so, is it realistic? Can someone with dementia walk 6 miles + trails?
Were they often doing that same walk? I guess it was not the first time?
Were they always walking trails with the dog? Was he used to go by his own?

There seems to be some confusion over the distance from their home to the trail and then the length of the walk.

I don't know the correct answer, but I do recall the husband saying in a news report that they were on "their usual walk" so whatever the distances were, it was something they did often.

Dementia would not cause her to be any less fit or less able to walk whatever distances she was in shape for in recent years before the dementia set in. Eventually it might affect balance or muscle tone but that would be in late stages. MOO

 

[annpats]

Need to clarify, not sure if I get it correctly.

Husband and wife with dementia were planning to walk 3 miles from home to the trails, walk the trails back and forth - how many miles? - and walk again 3 miles to get back home.
Is it right?

If so, is it realistic? Can someone with dementia walk 6 miles + trails?
Were they often doing that same walk? I guess it was not the first time?
Were they always walking trails with the dog? Was he used to go by his own?

When she first went missing, there was initially some confusion over whether they actually lived in Maple Falls or Peaceful Valley, near Kendall.

News reports stated Maple Falls, which would make it 3 miles away.

But it turns out they live in near Peaceful Valley, quite close to the trail, just over half a mile.

 

[Lilibet]

Need to clarify, not sure if I get it correctly.

Husband and wife with dementia were planning to walk 3 miles from home to the trails, walk the trails back and forth - how many miles? - and walk again 3 miles to get back home.
Is it right?

If so, is it realistic? Can someone with dementia walk 6 miles + trails?
Were they often doing that same walk? I guess it was not the first time?
Were they always walking trails with the dog? Was he used to go by his own?

Please see the maps I posted last evening. This was across the road from where they live, not 3 miles away. I’m speaking as someone whose friends lived in the same development, about a block away from them.

 

[Lilibet]

Their address is Maple Falls even though they are closer to Kendall.

 

[annpats]

Their address is Maple Falls even though they are closer to Kendall.

I see. Maple Falls is the main town, and Kendall and Peaceful Valley are just small areas near that town. Would that be correct?

 

[Lilibet]

I see. Maple Falls is the main town, and Kendall and Peaceful Valley are just small areas near that town. Would that be correct?

Yes, that is correct. They are all (even Maple Falls) referred to as “census designated” places, but not actual towns with town governments as I understand it.

ETA:

Census Designated Places

How to submit BAS updates for Census Designated Places (CDPs).

www.census.gov

Incorporated places are legally incorporated under state law, have a legally defined boundary, and an active functioning governmental structure. Examples of incorporated places include cities, towns, villages, etc.

CDPs are statistical equivalents of incorporated places and represent unincorporated communities that do not have a legally defined boundary or an active, functioning governmental structure. Examples of CDPs include unincorporated communities, planned communities, military installments, university towns, resort towns, etc.

A single location cannot be part of both an incorporated place and a CDP.

 

[Stunned]

Need to clarify, not sure if I get it correctly.

Husband and wife with dementia were planning to walk 3 miles from home to the trails, walk the trails back and forth - how many miles? - and walk again 3 miles to get back home.
Is it right?

If so, is it realistic? Can someone with dementia walk 6 miles + trails?
Were they often doing that same walk? I guess it was not the first time?
Were they always walking trails with the dog? Was he used to go by his own?

So it’s been made public that they BOTH had dementia? I wondered but never saw it stated as fact.

 

[Lilibet]

So it’s been made public that they BOTH had dementia? I wondered but never saw it stated as fact.

I don’t think that’s the case. I read it as referring to the wife, and that’s how it’s been stated in MSM.
Probably might read like this…
Husband and (his) wife with dementia…

 

[Stunned]

I don’t think that’s the case. I read it as referring to the wife, and that’s how it’s been stated in MSM.
Probably might read like this…
Husband and (his) wife with dementia…

My bad! I did read it wrong! But I do wonder…. IMO

 

[annpats]

We did discuss a few pages back that the husband could've had mild dementia too, but it was just a theory, and it isn't the case.

No-one from the family, police or media has mentioned it.

Only Julie has dementia.

 

[Stunned]

We did discuss a few pages back that the husband could've had mild dementia too, but it was just a theory, and it isn't the case.

No-one from the family, police or media has mentioned it.

Only Julie has dementia.

Well there you go! That’s why it stuck with me! Have no idea where my purse is, but I remembered that from somewhere!

 

[Aloe]

I hope family isn’t involved in her recovery. I would think it would be fairly unpleasant after all this time.

Yes would be unpleasant for family members, but sometimes they want to be involved. Just thinking if SAR is no longer involved and LE isn’t looking, then it’s up to the family and hopefully volunteers will work for the family to help find her.
MOO

 

[RickshawFan]

Yes would be unpleasant for family members, but sometimes they want to be involved. Just thinking if SAR is no longer involved and LE isn’t looking, then it’s up to the family and hopefully volunteers will work for the family to help find her.
MOO

If remains are found, generally SAR or LE + EMT’s would do the recovery. In rough terrain, it can get very technical and use a lot of personnel. I don’t know about WA, but the site would technically be a crime scene in at least some states until LE sorts it out, because they don’t know definitively the cause of death.

 

[Aloe]

If remains are found, generally SAR or LE + EMT’s would do the recovery. In rough terrain, it can get very technical and use a lot of personnel. I don’t know about WA, but the site would technically be a crime scene in at least some states until LE sorts it out, because they don’t know definitively the cause of death.

I just hope people will look for her and do not rely on LE and SAR groups to do that. MOO

 

[RickshawFan]

If one of my family members with dementia disappeared in heavily wooded area, I wouldn't have waited that long.

It's so sad that the many cases on WS where people with dementia have disappeared, practically none of them have ever been found alive.

Do they forget to seek out help? Does confusion take over completely and they become so frightened they head away from civilization and hide?

If lost, dementia-impaired folks may hide, seek shelter, or not respond to the sound of voices. This is why the early statement of LE wanted residents to check their sheds and outbuildings.

The odds of not finding someone with dementia alive after a day climb very rapidly: upthread, I posted a slide show on “lost person behavior”. The statistics are there.

Here’s a re-post on an article about searches:

Missing Person Cases Involving Dementia Challenge Police

Memory loss is one of the symptoms of dementia. So is wandering. Over the last five years, at least 10 people in Washington state have died after wandering

www.kuow.org

Here’s a re-post of bullet-points on searches, including dementia. It’s not dated, so just a rough idea. It’s training materials for Northeast Wilderness SAR. Check out pp. 2-3.

http://www.newsar.org/Training/Lost_Person_Behavior_NEWSAR_no_background.pdf

The reason the searches were ended after 4 days may have an answer on one of those slides. After 3 days, there’s 0 statistical chance of SAR finding them. See “evacuating” (which I believe means finding and bringing back)