It's a debilitating disease that robs a person of their memory, leaving them with confused about the smallest things, like how to find their way home. Unfortunately there's no cure for Alzheimers. Now there is something to keep those suffering from it, safer and provide peace of mind for their loved ones. It was a huge hunt full of hope- in July of 2008, 78-year-old John Tierney and his dog Buddy went missing from their Owosso home. Tierney suffered from Alzheimers, so the community launched a massive search involving dozens of people and spanning miles of rough terrain.

Kim Laurin, Tierney's daughter: "We're asking for the public to just, as your driving down your road, look out your windows and see if you can see him."

Someone did spot him, but unfortunately it was too late. On July 20th, 2008, after going missing for a week, a chopper pilot found Tierney dead in a field.

Sheriff George Braidwood: "He died of exposure, it was a real tragedy here in the Owosso area."

Shiawassee County Sheriff George Braidwood says it's a tragedy all too common for those diagnosed with Alzheimers.

Sheriff George Braidwood: "When they leave or walk away, they don't know how to get back home or don't remember, and they'll oftentimes even hide. You could search forever and never find them."

But now in Shiawassee County there's a new way to help people with Alzheimer's or autism. It's a little device which may save lives.

Lt. Michael Termeer, Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office: "What we have here is the project lifesaver, this is what the sheriff's department now runs in the county."

It's a simple tracking device designed for those prone to wandering off, adults with Alzheimers or children with autism. The user wears it around their wrist or ankle at all times. If they disappear, their family members call police, who grab a receiver and start searching on foot. Usually they say they can find the client in minutes.

Lt. Termeer: "With this, their device is transmitting a signal, so the searchers simply have to follow the track of the electronic signal. It takes it right to them."

But if the person has been missing for more than an hour, they may have gotten too far for the receiver to track down, so police take the search on the road.

Lt Termeer: "We have car based ones."

Which have a longer tracking range than the handheld device, so no matter where the client has wandered, project lifesaver will do it's job.

Lt. Termeer: "Pretty basic, but this is what they found out over the years, it works."

And the sheriff's department believes it would have worked to save John Tierney.

Sheriff Braidwood: "If he would have had this device on, they would have had him probably in 15 or 20 minutes."

But sometimes from tragedy, something great is born.

George Braidwood: "Sooner or later this is going to save a life in this county, and if it saves one then it was all worthwhile."

Right now there are 4 people in the county signed up, three with Alzheimers and one child with autism. There are two more people seriously looking into it who will probably sing up by December, but if anyone is interested it's pretty affordable. There's a 99 dollar initial fee to buy the device and then it's just 30 dollars a month after that."