Northern Territory Police Dog Wedge is being hailed a hero after he led police to an elderly woman, who is lucky to be alive after going missing in Darwin overnight.

At around 6pm, police received a report of an 81-year-old woman missing somewhere in the greater Darwin area after she failed to attend a lunch meeting earlier that day.

Police held concerns for the woman as it is believed she had underlying health issues and immediately began a search.

Police were able to narrow down the woman’s location after conducting a triangulation on her phone and deployed resources including the Police Dog Unit to Francis Bay Drive at around 10pm.

Patrol Dog ‘Wedge’ took members to a large block boarded by McMinn Street and Tiger Brennan Drive and members on foot searched further into the block, where Wedge displayed positive behaviour towards a steep embankment covered in long grass and dense vegetation.

Police located the woman, who was dehydrated and covered in insect bites, lying over a partially covered water pipe.

The woman was carried down the embankment and placed in a vehicle where she received first aid and water, before paramedics arrived and conveyed her to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Senior Sergeant Shayne Warden said, “This incident could have very easily ended in tragedy if not for the efforts and unique advantages of the Dog Operations Unit. I commend all members involved for their efforts. Phone triangulation also played an important role in narrowing down an area for our members to begin the search.”