Using a variety of investigative techniques, city police officers were able to locate and rescue a woman who sustained injuries amid a mental health crisis Wednesday.
Thunder Bay Police Service officers with the Uniform Patrol Branch were dispatched to an area near Centennial Park on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 27 following reports of a suicidal female in distress.
The woman had retreated into a wooded area and officers arriving on scene were unable to immediately locate her. Based on the information received prior to arriving, police were concerned that she was in danger and in desperate need of medical attention.
An initial investigation revealed the woman was still within two kilometres of where police were dispatched, however, her exact location remained unknown. An intense ground search ensued, which included assistance from the TBPS drone. Officers also located and interviewed numerous witnesses in the area to help better understand where the woman may have been.
During the ground search an officer was able to make contact with the woman on a mobile phone. During their conversation the officer was able to de-escalate the situation, at which point she agreed to assist the police in locating her.
Police used their sirens to assist in pinpointing the woman’s location, which was in a heavily wooded area nearby.
Paramedics with the Superior North EMS transported the woman to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences
In 2020, Thunder Bay Police Service officers were dispatched to 1,802 calls relating to mental health.