The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) bloodhound team located a missing elderly Cassatt man near his home Sunday. According to a KCSO press release, deputies were notified around 11 a.m. of the 84-year-old man’s disappearance. They also learned he suffered from health problems.

The S.C. State Law Enforcement Division assisted, providing a helicopter during the search. Kershaw County Emergency Services also assisted, and preparations made for additional manpower to support law enforcement officers.

Bloodhounds and handlers, starting from the area surrounding the missing man’s home, found him after nearly two hours in a wooded area not far away. Searchers determined he had wandered a good way and circled back. They found him under a tree adjacent to a dirt path to get out of the sun. According to the press release, the man was disoriented, barely able to talk or walk, and suffering from heat exhaustion.

Deputies put the man into an air-conditioned patrol car and then a waiting ambulance. He was assessed by EMS personnel, but refused additional treatment. EMS personnel helped him into his home where his wife was waiting.

“I’ve got to give it to the bloodhound team. More often than not they find their subject, whether it is a missing child, vulnerable adult or criminal,” Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said. “The deputies who make up this team are extremely dedicated and they serve the public well … and the dogs do a great job, too.”