Missing 82-year-old woman found alive in creek in Perth three days after last contact
An 82-year-old woman missing in bush since Friday has been found alive in Perth’s southern suburbs — with her “very loyal” pet dog by her side.
Patricia Dickson, 82, was discovered “lying down, partly in the creek” by police and SES volunteers in Thornlie on Monday when they were alerted by a barking dog.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Patricia Dickson found in Perth three days after going missing.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Dehydrated and a little confused, Dickson was then carried to safety by police, volunteers, friends and family.
She is understood to have been found just a few hundred metres from her house.
“I’ve got no words. This is a miracle,” relieved neighbour Kylie Linto said.
“We were just keeping hope — but we started getting scared what we would find.
“I can’t believe it.”
Dickson was assessed by St John WA paramedics and taken to Armadale Hospital where she is “doing fine”.
Her Maltese shih tzu Jess was taken to a local vet for a check-up.
“The dog Jess is very loyal and was found right next to her, arguably protecting her because Jess was very noisy when the police were there with her,” Armadale District Office Inspector Erica Silwood said.
Dickson and her pet were missing for three days and endured scorching summer heat of more than 30C on Saturday and Sunday.
They were last seen on CCTV cameras walking near Avon Ct and Spelhurst Tce on Friday.
There were concerns for her welfare because she failed to make contact with her family, which was out of character.
The rescue operation was backed by significant resources from the SES — including two search teams, support crews and a mission commander — and police, including mounted units, road policing, local officers and detectives.
Thornlie locals also joined in, searching their houses and backyards.
Dickson was found “lying down, partly in the creek”, Silwood said.
“It’s an absolute miracle because it has been really hot and Patricia is quite elderly and so we were super happy with the result,” Silwood said.
The result was also a massive relief for Dickson’s family, who were “elated” to hear she was found alive and well
“They were obviously very worried about her and really appreciative of the effort of the police and SES as well,” Silwood said.
Originally published on 7NEWS
