Within 45 minutes of being alerted, Banford Police and Fire personnel, led by Branford Police K9 Joker, successfully located a 70 year-old woman reported missing after she and her dog failed to return from a 4 p.m walk in woods near Stony Creek. She had been in the woods for approximately four hours.

The following was posted early today by Branford Fire Department on its Facebook page:

"A Unified Command Post was set up, at St. Therese Church, to oversee the search for a missing person in the woods off of Red Hill Rd. The 70 year old Branford resident, who frequently walks this area, entered the woods with her dog at approximately 4:00 pm. Her family alerted authorities at 7:30 pm. Branford Fire and Police personnel, lead by Branford Police dog Joker, located the resident approximately 1 mile in the woods at about 8:15 pm. Once located the resident and emergency personnel exited the woods, coming out at The Gables Retirement Community on Granite Rd in Guilford. The resident was transported by Branford Fire Department ambulance to Yale New Haven Hospital for evaluation."

Reporters Update: Branford Police also issued the following regarding the incident: "Jan. 21, 2016: The Branford Emergency Communications Center was contacted yesterday evening (1/20/2016) just before 7:30 p.m. by a concerned son of a 70 year old female. He told dispatchers that his mother entered the woods at the end of Red Hill Road to hike with her dog earlier in the day and had not returned home.

Members from both the Police and Fire Departments, including the Police Department's K-9 Joker, and his handler Officer Luigi Amasino, were dispatched to the woman's last known location where her car was parked. Officer Amasino, K-9 Joker, Officer Brett Johnson, Fire Captain Jason Karpovich and Firefighter / Paramedic Ralph Marino, teamed together to begin a search. K-9 Joker led the team through the woods for approximately 1 mile, and within 20 minutes located the woman behind a large bolder with her dog.

Firefighters treated the woman for minor hypothermia; however she was able to walk out of the woods with limited assistance by her rescuers. She was later transported to an area medical facility for evaluation."