Zielona Góra, Przylep. Police rescued a missing cyclist

The officer on duty at the Zielona Góra police station was notified on Tuesday morning by the family of the 79-year-old that the day before at around 8 a.m. he had ridden out on a bicycle, had not returned home and had not contacted his loved ones. The senior told his loved ones that he was going towards Przylep. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the missing man did not have a mobile phone with him.

– Immediately after the report, the officer on duty engaged patrols throughout the city in the search. An urgent message with a description for local media was also prepared – says Sub-Inspector Małgorzata Barska from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Zielona Góra.

Fortunately, the traffic police patrol found the missing 79-year-old very quickly after reaching Przylep. He was lying in the undergrowth next to a watercourse, near a popular shortcut that runs through green areas.

– The police noticed a man lying in the bushes next to the path, whose appearance matched the description of the missing person. A bicycle was standing a dozen or so meters away, leaning against the railings. The man was conscious, but very weak. He told the police that he had fallen off the bicycle, his leg was hurting badly, he was thirsty and did not know how he had ended up so far from the bicycle – Barska reports.

The police immediately called the ambulance crew to the scene, and while waiting for the medics, they gave the injured man water and helped him sit in the least painful position. – The paramedics who arrived at the scene decided to take the 79-year-old to the hospital with a suspected fracture and because of exhaustion – explains Barska.

On the occasion of this incident, the Zielona Góra police would like to remind everyone that in the event of a missing person, especially a child, an elderly, helpless or sick person, especially after dark and when temperatures drop below zero, time is of the essence.

– The most important thing is to take action as soon as we realize that a person is missing. Let's not wait to notify the police. Instead, let's try to establish as many details as possible that we can give to the police – including where they may be, who to contact, whether the missing person has a phone or documents with them, whether they took additional clothes when leaving, and also what they were or could have been wearing and where they could have gone – emphasizes Barska.

A detailed description and as much data as possible are important, which will help and facilitate the search, as well as a current photo. – In the case of older, sick people, a mobile phone or a watch with a GPS function can be a huge support. However, it is important to remember that the battery of such a device should always be charged – he adds.