INDIAN HEAD, Md. — More than three dozen volunteer fire and emergency personnel joined forces Thursday, March 20, 2025, to locate and rescue an elderly man who went missing in the woods near a library in Charles County.
The elderly man was last seen around 4:35 p.m. walking into a wooded area behind the Potomac Branch Library, prompting a 911 call and a swift emergency response under the county’s “rescue inaccessible terrain” protocol.
Crews from multiple stations responded to the scene, setting up incident command near Creedon Drive. Engine 112 took initial command before Charles County Fire Chief Jason D. Kaufmann arrived and assumed oversight of the operation.
Three ATV units were deployed into the dense woods, using GPS tracking systems on mobile terminals to coordinate search routes. As temperatures dropped and weather conditions threatened to deteriorate, crews maintained contact with the man through the 911 center, helping to triangulate his location.
Roughly 70 minutes after the call, a rescue team aboard ATV4 reached the man. He was described as cold, wet and disoriented but did not appear to be seriously injured. He was transported back to a staging area at the library, where medics evaluated him before he was reunited with family.
“This incident highlights the dedication and expertise of our volunteer Fire/EMS personnel,” Chief Kaufmann said in a statement. “Through teamwork, advanced technology and relentless determination, we were able to bring this individual to safety before the weather conditions worsened.”
Officials praised the collaborative response from fire and rescue crews, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and 911 dispatchers in ensuring a safe outcome.
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