06/14/2026
🚨 MISSION SUCCESS: LIFE SAVED 🚨
On Friday, Oxford EMS Special Operations had the privilege of being part of a mission that ended with the best possible outcome: a missing person was found alive and reunited with his family after nearly 48 hours.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., Oxford EMS Special Operations along with our partners from Beacon Falls PD were requested by the New Haven Police Department to assist in the search for an autistic adult who had been missing since Wednesday evening.
Over the course of the operation, multiple K9 teams, drone assets from Oxford EMS and NHPD, MedOps 1 serving as the command center, and numerous dedicated personnel worked together to locate the missing individual.
After 5 hours of searching, our drone team was deployed over an area of interest identified by our K9 Teams. While conducting aerial operations, a drone spotter identified an anomaly within a dense, marshy area covered by heavy vegetation. Using both visual and thermal imaging, the team recognized that the object could potentially be a person.
Coordinates were relayed to a nearby K9 team, who responded to investigate.
They found the missing individual...unresponsive, but alive.
Oxford EMS personnel immediately initiated life-saving care. It is believed he had been exposed to the elements since Wednesday evening, surviving severe thunderstorms, extreme heat, and days without food or water.
Providers on scene felt that without timely intervention, his condition could have become fatal within hours.
This rescue represents an incredible success for every agency involved. The teamwork between law enforcement, K9 teams, drone operators, and EMS professionals directly resulted in saving a life.
It also marks a milestone for Oxford EMS: our first successful live find involving the combined efforts of our Drone and K9 Search & Rescue teams.
These specialized programs may not be what people traditionally think of when they think of EMS, but our mission has always been simple: save lives.
During this time, our in town EMS crews responded to 7 medical emergencies as well!
Because of the dedication, training, and professionalism of everyone involved, a man was given a second chance, and a family was reunited with their loved one.
Thank you to every agency, volunteer, K9 and responder who played a role in this successful outcome.
