Media release

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Police

On the evening of 4 May 2021, Senior Constable Mathew Unwin and Patrol Dog (PD) Wedge were called to assist with reports of a missing person. What SC Unwin didn’t know at the time, was the person he was about to assist was his neighbour.

“I got the call to assist at around 11:30pm. At this stage the person had been missing for about 10 hours, and we had real concerns as the woman was elderly and had underlying health issues,” said Senior Constable (SC) Unwin.  

Using phone triangulations, police narrowed down the search to an area between CBD and Stuart Park.

“We had no idea what had happened to her, whether she was lost, or had been the victim of a crime. We hoped that she still had her phone with her,” he said.

SC Unwin deployed PD Wedge with a method that allows him to detect and respond to human scent on the breeze. Wedge led SC Unwin to a vacant block between Garramilla Bvd and Tiger Brennan Drive, where they were faced by a steep embankment covered in long grass and dense vegetation.

PD Wedge guided a way up the embankment for SC Unwin, where he located missing person, 81-year-old Ms Anna Beckwith.

“When I first saw Anna, all I could see was her legs. She was stuck, lying face down, over a pile of rocks in the long grass.

“When I asked her how long she had been there for, she said she didn’t know. I tried to lift her up, she was covered in insect bites and ants all over.

“It wasn’t clear how Anna had managed to make her way to that location but I remember thinking how was I going to tell others where we were, or get her out so that I could get help for her. She appeared to be exhausted and dehydrated but was in good spirits.

SC Unwin carried Anna 150 metres to the Tiger Brennan Drive, were he could call for assistance.

“It wasn’t easy carrying Anna back to the road. Wedge was off his lead, excited about finding Anna and he wanted his reward for doing his job. Then there was the challenge of being able to see in the dark to get safely out to the road,” said SC Unwin.

“I asked Anna if she was able to hold the torch and light the way, which she was able to help out with. A couple times though, Anna would ask if I was ok and this probably had something to do with how much I was puffing from carrying her through the bush to the road. I found it amusing that she was asking me that, after her ordeal.”

When SC Unwin and Anna reached the road, police and ambulance came to Anna’s aid.

“While Anna was being assessed for her injuries, I was speaking to one of the other officers who mentioned where she lived – he was talking about how immaculate her house and garden was, and as it turns out, Anna lived across the road from me.”

Anna was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, where she spent nearly eight weeks in care. During that time, SC Unwin and the other officers visited, or would ring and check in on Anna, and even go as far to mow Anna’s lawn.

“It was highly likely that if Anna wasn’t found when she was, given her fall position, frail age, history of injuries and dehydration, she would not have survived through the night.

“PD Wedge, myself and the other attending members went to visit Anna in the hospital the next day. We took some flowers and were able to speak with Anna for a short time.

“Since that night, we keep in regular contact through her friend Judy. Anna is now home and recovering from her misadventure. I’m hoping to go and visit her when lock down is finished,” said SC Unwin.