Gwinnett County Officers Rescue Missing Elderly Man Submerged in Creek

Several Gwinnett County police officers are being commended for their successful rescue of a 77-year-old man who was found submerged in a creek off Interstate 85 Northbound near Buford.

On August 20, police were alerted to the disappearance of the elderly man from Snellville, who was reported missing by his family. They informed officers that his car was missing and expressed concern due to the man’s potential mental health issues.

Officers used traffic camera footage to locate the missing man’s Chrysler Pacifica parked on the side of the interstate. Despite an initial search of the area on the same day, the man was not found. Following this, detectives listed him as a missing person under a Mattie’s Call, which is an urgent alert for disabled or elderly individuals.

The next morning, Gwinnett County Police Department’s North Precinct officers resumed the search. Sgt. Brett Shirley, Lt. John Cleland, and Cpl. Andrew Palmer combed the wood line along the interstate. Sgt. Shirley’s call for the missing man elicited a response. The officers descended to the creek and discovered the man submerged in the water.

They promptly extracted him from the creek and provided medical assistance. The man was later transported to a local hospital by the Gwinnett County Fire Department.