Diana R. Chase

A Panama woman who went missing earlier this week, sparking a widespread search that included several police agencies and hundreds of volunteers, ended Wednesday evening when the 74-year-old Diana R. Chase was found dead.

Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone said Chase’s body was found around 5:15 p.m. in a wooded area off Hoag Road in the town of Harmony. He said the cause of death “appeared to be natural.”

Chase was last seen Sunday afternoon near her Blockville Watts Flats Road home in Ashville. She reportedly suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and, according to her family, had never wandered from home alone before.

In a news release, the Sheriff’s Office said it “extends condolences to Mrs. Chase’s family.”

Local agencies, volunteer firefighters and search teams had been scouring locations in and around the south county.

Those assisting included state Forest Rangers, state police troopers, the Lakewood-Busti Police Department, Corry, Pa., police, Pennsylvania State Police, the state Department of Corrections, county EMS and members from about two dozen fire departments.

Volunteers from the community also assisted in the four-day search.

Beginning Tuesday morning, a command center was established at the Harmony Town Highway Department, located about a mile from Chase’s home. More than 200 people helped search Monday, with another 100 the following day.

“The Sheriff’s Office is grateful to all the people and agencies who assisted in this search,” the department said in a news release.