The Starke County Sheriff’s Office is crediting a Porter County Search and Rescue Team K-9 with locating a missing woman early Friday morning. The Sheriff’s Office says it received a call just after 6:00 p.m. Thursday that Linda Wilde, 74, was missing from the area of Division Road between 1025 and 1100 East.
Deputies, Washington Township firefighters, a helicopter called in from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and two drones were unsuccessful in finding her in the dark, rainy conditions.
That’s where K-9 Jakob and his handler, Jay Craig, come in. Jakob initially had some trouble, as well, according to a Town of Chesterton Facebook post, until searchers decided to let him conduct an off-leash search, shortly before 1:00 a.m. Craig says the K-9 located the woman’s scent in her home and followed it back to her, about one-half to three-quarters of a mile away in a wooded area.
The Town of Chesterton says Jakob has taken part in 20 to 30 tracks since joining the Porter County Search and Rescue Team. In a press release, the Starke County Sheriff’s Office thanked Jakob and Craig, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Township Fire Department, Starke County EMS, Porter County Sheriff’s Office, and Porter County Search and Rescue Team.
