Lake County sheriff's canine Dax credited with saving woman's life

Lake County Sheriff's Office canine officer Dax is credited with saving the life of a 25-year old woman Sunday who may have been suffering from hypothermia.

Sheriff's deputies responded about 8:35 p.m. to a home in unincorporated Mundelein and learned an adult woman resident had left on foot about 6 p.m., sheriff's Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said.

The woman was in mental distress and not wearing appropriate clothing for the weather, he said, and didn't bring any belongings, including her cellphone.

Family and friends reached by authorities did not know where she was and Deputy John Forlenza and his canine partner, Dax, were called.

Dax quickly tracked the woman's scent from home and found her about 500 feet away in a wooded area, Covelli said.

The woman was about 75 feet away from a nearby walking path, was unconscious and likely suffering from hypothermia, he added.

She was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover, Covelli said.

Foul play is not suspected. Covelli said the outcome could have been much different without the assistance of a sheriff's canine team.

"Every day I continue being impressed by the success of our canine teams," Sheriff John Idleburg said in a news release. "They save lives every year, which is exactly why we increased the number of canines in our agency."