Following a massive search involving about 25 police officers, ten police dogs, volunteer firefighters, and the state police helicopter, a frail 73-year-old man was found safe in the woods on a trail about 250 feet off Eden Hill Road at about 8 pm on Wednesday, April 6.

Martin Lee Allen of 162 Hattertown Road, who police said is mentally handicapped, was reported as missing at 1:24 pm, after which police launched the search.

Mr Allen also went missing in August 2014, resulting in a lengthy major search which discovered him safe sleeping in a farm field off Head O' Meadow Road.

Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde described the April 6 search as "a really intense situation." The urgency of the search stemmed from cold weather conditions, which police believed would cause Allen to succumb to the elements in the nighttime if he were not found.

An Easton man, who police did not identify, took it upon himself to help search for the missing man and used his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to travel on trails near Eden Hill Road in searching, the sergeant said.

While traveling on one of those trails, the man found Allen unharmed and then notified police. Allen had positioned himself near a rock for a night's sleep, Sgt Bahamonde said.

The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Allen to a hospital for a medical evaluation, the sergeant said. Besides Newtown police, state police, and police from Trumbull, Monroe and Bethel participated in the search. Among the ten tracking dogs were eight German shepherds and two bloodhounds.

The town issued two Code Red alerts via its emergency notification system in alerting residents to be the lookout for the missing man. A third Code Red message indicated that he had been found. Newtown police also issued a Silver Alert.

Helicopter staff both searched visually and used infrared detection devices in seeking the missing man.

Dodgingtown volunteer firefighters also participated in the search, using infrared detection gear.

Allen had last been seen by his caretaker about 8:30 am on Tuesday, after which the caretaker returned about noon, learning he was missing, Sgt Bahamonde said. After a preliminary search, police were notified of the missing man.

The search was complicated because of the police's need to investigate multiple conflicting reports of the missing Allen having been spotted in various locations, Sgt Bahamonde said.

Due to the dire circumstances of the search, "We had to exhaust every tool that we had" in seeking Allen, the sergeant said.

Sgt Bahamonde said that police will be discussing how to prevent such situations from occurring again.