Quoting Colour Purple:
As I've posted before I wondered if Sally had had some kind of episode similar to those that Alzheimer's/dementia sufferers can have. Found this interesting info:
Furthermore, the visual field (peripheral vision) is narrowed, creating “tunnel vision.” A reduction in peripheral vision results in poor navigators using only what they see in front of them versus excellent navigators who combine active scanning for landmarks they remember. This may account for dementia wanderers’ trademark behavior of essentially moving straight ahead: “They go until they get stuck.” Direction of travel predicts a dementia subject’s final location better than it does in most other subject categories.
Mild to moderate severity is associated with more goal-directed wandering. Initially, the subject does in fact have a destination in mind. Distances traveled may be greater
In a short conversation with the subject one may not detect anything unusual. Dementia subjects are usually recognized by the public due to inappropriate dress, unsafe or inappropriate behavior, asking for assistance, or an inappropriate response.
In an urban environment, the subject is typically found in structures or walking along roads. In both urban and wilderness environments, the subject is highly likely to cross or depart from a road (66%).If the subject leaves the road or travel feature, he does not travel far.
Subjects are also attracted to water features and will walk into water (perhaps without even realizing it is water)
Hallmark behaviors:
* They go until they get “stuck.”
* Appear to lack the ability to turn around and may ping-pong off some barriers.
* Direction of travel is a good predictor of where they are found.
* Oriented to the past. The more severe the dementia, the further in the past they exist. Figure out where in the past the subject is currently “living” in order to determine possible destinations (e.g., a former residence, a work place). Investigative questions assist to better understand the subject’s past (which, for them,
may be the present).May attempt to travel to former residence, favorite place or what appears to be former place, or workplace
https://www.dbs-sar.com/LPB/Dementia.pdf
My question is, if Sally was in the middle of some kind of similar episode... is there something at the point that Sally was last seen on CCTV that would have stopped her from carrying on straight ahead in the same direction she had been heading? Bollards? Something blocking the path? "No Entry" signs?
Of course it could just be that she stopped as she had reached her destination. Also is there easier access to the water at the point she was last seen, gaps in barriers etc? Or anywhere that could make it easier for her to have walked or fell into the water, or if she wasn't recognising it as water ... anywhere where the river looked more like an expanse of land that she could walk across?
Me, Plumeria, writing now...(I didn't know how to quote the quotes but they are very interesting, especially the Hallmark behaviors.) Something must have been askew because she would surely have not gone for that long of a walk in her pjs. Maybe her goal was to wear herself out so she would drown more easily or it was a mental episode of dementia or medical condition. Whatever the case, if she is in the water, it was a lonely cold death. The fact that she stopped to pet a dog, if true, is very sad. Dogs are always there for us and bring us comfort at the worst of times. Poor Sally.