TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – On Feb. 3, two days after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, a Pima County helicopter was flying low to the ground, just above Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills. Investigators were using a technology known as a ‘signal sniffer’ to try and find Guthrie’s pacemaker.
The 84-year-old’s pacemaker disconnected from her phone just before 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, the morning she went missing.
Investigators know Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker has a Bluetooth device attached to it. The pacemaker sends out that Bluetooth signal that can usually be picked up by a receiver within 30 feet, but sometimes the distance can be longer.
Dr. Darren Peress is a cardiologist in Tucson. He works directly with some patients who have pacemakers. Peress tells News 4 Tucson it is possible for investigators to potentially pickup the signal on Guthrie’s pacemaker.
However, the pacemaker must be within a close enough range for that receiver to pick up a signal.
“So, what the sheriff’s department is doing, they have a receiver that’s attached to the base of the helicopter or a drone and looking for the signal that would be emitted by her pacemaker,” Dr. Peress said.
Earlier in the investigation the Pima County Sheriff’s Department brought in Parsons Corporation, a technology-focused defense and engineering firm.
Parsons used its BlueFly units or a drone-mountable device to try and locate the pacemaker.
In a statement, Parsons told News 4 Tucson:
“At the beginning of February, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department requested our support, and we immediately began deployment of BlueFly® units and personnel to Arizona to assist with the search for Nancy Guthrie. BlueFly® is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sensor intended for search and rescue operations in challenging environments. The technology has been used on a variety of air and ground vehicles, and on foot in austere terrain. It provides first responders with a heat map to identify signals within a search area. BlueFly® was used on Feb. 3 during the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue helicopter search over the Guthrie neighborhood. The technology was subsequently used for additional search operations by helicopter, ground vehicles, and on foot. Due to the sensitivity of the investigation, we will not provide additional details on ongoing operations.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed the working relationship his team has with Parsons in the Guthrie investigation.
“You know, the pacemaker company, from day one, we’ve been involved with and they’ve been very cooperative with us,” Nanos said. “And today, as we speak, we’re still working with them.”
Stay with News 4 Tucson for updates on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
