Published on July 27th, 2010
The News
Topics :
Eye-Zon 100 , Pictou County Children , Autism Association , NEW GLASGOW , Cape Breton
NEW GLASGOW - Last year's story of young James Delorey of Cape Breton passing away after being lost in the woods was tragic and it served as a wake-up call to parents, advocacy groups and authorities.
They are looking for a way to prevent these kinds of tragedies by being able to find missing persons much more quickly.
Allison Kearley of the Pictou County Children with Autism Association is spearheading a project to procure special GPS tracking devices for their children.
It's called the Eye-Zon 100 and it's the size of two nine-volt batteries and can be attached to a belt loop or used like a medical bracelet.
"I have a daughter with autism and she's a major flight risk," said Kearley.
She believes that the tracking device could be a crucial tool to keeping her child safe.
Autistic children are known to be flight risks. She said her child really has no concept of the safety concerns or the consequences of wandering away from her mother.
"If you turn your back on her, she's gone," said Kearley.
By having the device, which links to your home computer or Smartphone, it can provide quicker response times for search and rescue operations.
"The first few hours are so vital," she said.