Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009

80 year old, John J. Smith was last seen by family Friday afternoon around 1:30pm.

The man suffers from Alzheimer's. At first, his family thought he simply went for a walk, something he has done in the past. When minutes turned to hours, his family knew something was wrong.

"We were ready to go and start searching right then and there," said Justin Mock, Smith's grandson.

Mock and his father drove to Emporia hoping to form a search party, but by the time they got there, a large search was already formed. Dozens of police officers, community members, volunteers, and search dogs were out combing the area looking for their lost loved one.

"It was incredible," said Mock.

As the hours continued to pass, Mock said their hopeful optimism began to erode. Without a lead, hope was beginning to fade.

"It was dark, cold, and it was raining," said Mock. "We were really starting to worry," he said.

The search for Smith continued through the night. Just before daylight broke, the search dogs picked up a scent. There, lying along a barbed wire fence, curled in the fetal position was Smith. More than 17 hours after disappearing, the lost, elderly man was found.

"It was a relief," said Mock. "We were so happy to have him back," he said.

Smith was taken to Newman Medical Center in Emporia for observation. His family says he is doing well. They say they cannot thank the police and the community enough for all of their help and support.

A silver alert was never issued for this case. The Emporia Police Department said they had all of the necessary paperwork ready to go, but the actual alert can only be issued by the attorney generals office during regular business hours.