Missing woman found unhurt
Bonner County Sheriff’s officials said much of the credit for the successful search for a missing woman goes to the helicopter support from Fairchild Air Force Base. (Courtesy photo)
LACLEDE — An elderly Bonner County woman is safe and sound after a cold outdoor evening thanks to the efforts of Bonner County Search and Rescue.
Authorities discovered Margaret Zavakos, 75, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning after an extended search that involved air and water support.
On Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m., Zavakos went for a walk outside her home in Laclede, About a mile and a half from the residence, she fell alongside the railroad tracks.
“She wasn’t suffering from any medical condition and she was in good health,” Bonner County Lieutenant of Detectives Doug Harris said. “Basically, she was unable to get up and was just sort of stuck there.”
Zavakos’ family realized that she was missing around 7 p.m. and immediately filed a report with the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office. Within an hour, Lieutenant Ror Lakewold was out with the Search and Rescue crew scouring the area for any sign of the resident. Since Zavakos’ property was located along the Pend Oreille River, the searchers also dispatched a sheriff’s marine vessel.
“At about one in the morning, we suspended the search due to the wee hour and the darkness,” Lakewold said. “But we were right back out there by seven.”
And this time, they acquired some help from the Fairfield Air Force Base. A helicopter and crew dispatched from the compound and covered the search area with air reports. The air crew spotted Zavakos at 10:30 a.m. Lakewold was present when medical authorities picked her up for transport to Bonner County General Hospital. He reports her condition as sharp, coherent and not too worse for wear.
“She just seemed cold, tired and glad to be found,” he said.
After being admitted to General Hospital, doctors treated Zavakos for exposure. The sheriff’s office says that there aren’t any concerns about her condition.
“It’s just a matter of a few bumps and bruises, but otherwise, she’s doing great,” Harris said.
In a press release, the sheriff’s office thanked the Fairchild helicopter crew and the Search and Rescue participants. According to Lakewold, their assistance helped expedite the search and contributed to Zavakos’ safe retrieval.
“We were all just really happy that she’s safe,” he said.