CONTACT:
Sgt. Heidi Murphy
603-271-3361
March 18, 2024
Lebanon, NH – At approximately 2:35 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024, the Lebanon Police Department was notified of a missing elderly woman from their town. Lebanon quickly deployed personnel along with a K-9 unit to Oak Ridge Road to look for her. After 2 hours of searching, Lebanon requested assistance from other agencies to help locate the missing woman. The woman was identified as Mardrey Swenson, 76, of Lebanon. Swenson suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and had walked away from her home in the early morning hours. Her husband noticed she was gone and quickly notified the police department.
Lebanon Fire Department personnel and volunteers from Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, New England K-9, the NH State Helicopter Unit and Conservation Officers from the NH Fish and Game Department responded to assist. The Lebanon community came together during the search with many Good Samaritan neighbors requesting to help in the search. The search efforts around the residence and within a mile of the area were extensive. At approximately 1:30 p.m., a fisherman alerted authorities to a sighting he had along the Connecticut River near the Water Treatment facility on South Main Street. The NH State Police helicopter unit were able to track the sighting. Lebanon Fire Department and Police Department confirmed it was the body of Swenson. Rescue personnel were able to retrieve Swenson, bringing her to shore at 2:42 p.m. when next of kin was notified.