Update: Derby police said the man was located safe and sound.
Police in Derby and Shelton along with Derby firefighters and ambulance personnel searched Tuesday evening for a missing person near the Housatonic River.
Two friends were at a Shelton coffee shop then walked into Derby using a train trestle.
The two men apparently met in a substance abuse rehab facility. One of the men, thought to be in his twenties, wasn’t feeling well, so his buddy called for help.
The initial emergency dispatch was for an overdose, according to an emergency radio transmission.
But the man took off just before help arrived, so authorities started a search to get him medical attention.
Crews responded to the boat launch behind the city’s sewer plant off lower Caroline Street and searched from about 7:45 p.m. until about 9 p.m.
Derby used two off road vehicles and thermal imaging cameras to search along the riverwalk and O’Sullivan’s Island. Other firefighters holding flashlights searched crawl spaces under the Route 8 bridge.
Shelton police searched their side of the river, too. Metro-North railroad stopped trains for a short time so the searchers could safely check the tracks.
The article continues after the Tweet.
Waterbury Branch Service currently experiencing delays of 35 – 40 mins due to earlier police department activity in the vicinity of Derby.
— Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) February 22, 2017
Derby Storm Ambulance and Rescue also employed Pancho, a search and rescue dog, put no trail could be found.
Meanwhile, police “pinged” the gentleman’s phone in an effort to pinpoint him.
Derby firefighters cleared the scene around 9 p.m. after deciding he wasn’t in the immediate area, but police will keep an eye out as the night progresses.
