Aug 20, 2021

Hero policewoman finds missing dementia patient while searching on her day off

A missing 85-year-old man has been found alive and well after spending 30 hours in a ditch, thanks to a driven policewoman who spent her day off looking for him.

An 85-year-old man with dementia was found alive after spending the night in a 4.5 metre ditch. The man was located by a dedicated policewoman who spent her day off searching for the missing grandfather.

Joseph Hughes disappeared from a nursing home in the Welsh suburb of Porthcawl on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Hughes’ absence from the home was noticed later that afternoon when his son arrived for a visit but was unable to locate his father within the facility.

Mr Hughes’ son, nursing home staff and local authorities quickly launched a large-scale search effort, which ran all the way through the night and into the next morning, but unfortunately, the search failed to yield a result. 

Distressed family members continued their search efforts the following morning, as did a policewoman by the name of Amy who had been unable to stop thinking about the lost grandfather.

With hopes beginning to fade and legs beginning to tire, Amy’s loud calls of “Mr Hughes!” were eventually met with a response that appeared to have come from a ditch that was covered in thick foliage.

It was Mr Hughes. 

He had spent the entire night in the ditch wearing only a thin T-shirt and thin trousers.

Mr Hughes’ daughter-in-law, Linda, described the scenes to local reporters

“He’d not eaten or drank anything since 1pm the previous day and he wasn’t dressed for lying outside, he had trousers and a T-shirt on.”

“[Amy] said she got drawn to where [Mr Hughes] was. I called her ‘Amy the Angel’ because I think she was.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More fees mean less care: how home care is failing older Australians

  When a family member was diagnosed with young onset dementia, John* thought he was in a good position to find the care she needed. Hilary* had had a successful career, was healthy, and was in a strong financial position. The family set out to get Hilary care at home. Still only in her early... Read More

96 and achieving dreams: meet Italy’s oldest graduate

Attending university as a mature aged student may seem like a pipedream for some. For others it’s just another part of their everyday lives. For Giuseppe Paternò, it was a dream come true. “Being able to study has always been my greatest aspiration, but my family wasn’t able to pay for my education. We were a large family and very poor. Read More

Here’s why older people must drink more water

The elderly and middle-aged should drink more water to reap the full cognitive benefits of exercise. Read More
Advertisement