WOODVILLE, Ohio — A great end to a scary situation in Woodville, as crews successfully located a woman with dementia who was missing for nearly 24 hours. On Wednesday, more than 100 people helped search for Judy Bartell, who was missing for nearly 24 hours. Thirty-one of those volunteers entered a stretch of woods and discovered Bartell around 12:30 p.m. We are told she is alert and OK.
Bartell was found at Liskai Farms. There were many cheers and hugs going around from all of the volunteers in Woodville, who were searching for hours for her. After it was confirmed that Bartell was safe, the group that entered the woods counted off, one by one.
"Hey, you guys are the REAL heroes," said Woodville Police Chief Roy Whitehead, commencing a round of applause that ended with celebration.
We're told her nephew is the person who discovered her in the woods.
The relieved volunteers and first responders then regrouped at the shelter house at Trail Marker Park, where people earlier met up the start the search.
"She's fine! She was taking a nap," Whitehead said, with a big smile on his face. "Everything looks good."
He said there were "probably more than a hundred" volunteers, and "31 that went into the woods. That was the dealbreaker right there. No trails, nothing but thick (brush) and they went through the whole thing. These are the heroes right here, guys."
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Woodville police asked for the public's help locating a 68-year-old woman who has dementia and hadn't been seen since Tuesday around 7 p.m.
Police have released pictures of Judy Bartell Tuesday and they resumed their search for her at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
They used dogs for the search, which covered several acres, including the woods near the area where she was last seen.
Bartell waked into the Subway restaurant on Main Street in Woodville around 5:30 p.m. Police say the last time she was seen was around town at approximately 7 p.m.
At around 11 p.m. Tuesday, police suspended the search for the night.
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