An elderly Florida woman was found alive in a ravine on Thursday morning — nine days after she vanished from her home.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said two employees at a Homosassa Walmart alerted an officer after hearing peculiar noises coming from a wooded area behind the store.
The officer, who at the time was conducting a routine traffic stop in the vicinity, combed the area and heard a faint voice — leading him to discover Diane Mcinnis, 75, in a five-foot ravine.
EMS evaluated Mcinnis at the scene before she was transported to the hospital.
Mcinnis, who was last seen at her Citrus County home on April 6, was reported missing on April 7. At the time of her disappearance, authorities said she has no known symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s, nor does she have any “major medical conditions.”
WTVT reported that Mcinnis was found four miles from her home. Sheriff Mike Prendergast told the news outlet that they spent hundreds of manhours searching for the elder but had no leads until the two Walmart officers tipped off police.
Mcinnis’ son told WTVT that his mother is currently receiving care.
“Our citizens are amazing and if not for these two employees following their instincts and reporting suspicious noises, this case would have ended much differently,” Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in the press release. “I could not be more proud of the deputies, detectives, and volunteers who spent hundreds of cumulative hours searching for Ms. Mcinnis.”
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[Featured image: Diane Mcinnis/Citrus County Sheriff’s Office]
