A 79-year-old woman with medical and cognitive challenges who went missing early Thursday morning after leaving an Alpine gaming center was found unharmed about nine hours later in El Cajon, authorities said.
Eufemia “Femy” Danaher left Viejas Casino on Willows Road about 1 a.m. and got on a bus, according to sheriff’s officials. Danaher, who is diabetic and in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, was spotted at El Cajon Transit Center later in the morning, but where she went from there was unknown.
Twenty sheriff’s search-and-rescue volunteers with two service dogs helped deputies search for Danaher through the morning, with help from El Cajon police.
About 10 a.m., a deputy in a patrol helicopter spotted the missing woman in the 600 block of El Cajon Boulevard in El Cajon, officials said. Authorities made contact with her and made sure she was in good condition before turning her over to her family.
–City News Service