Brownwood News – A 76 year old man, said to have dementia, went missing for approximately five hours during the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 31, in the Shamrock Shores area at Lake Brownwood.

According to Brown County Sheriff, Vance Hill, his department was notified at approximately 2:30 am.  “Once we were notified we contacted the Lake Bridge Volunteer Fire Department and they assisted us with the search throughout the night.  We had a helicopter in route from DPS Lubbock, we had an airplane in route from DPS Austin and Texas Department of Criminal Justice from Gatesville showed up with their scent specific hound dogs,” Hill said.  Tracking dogs were also brought in from Texas Parks and Wildlife in Sweetwater.  “Just as they were beginning the search, a gentleman that lives about a mile away drove up with the individual we had been looking for,” Hill said.

The missing man had apparently wandered about one mile from the travel trailer he was staying in and had taken shelter in an old well house, wearing only his pajamas and slippers.  Temperatures fell to 25 degrees early Tuesday morning in Brownwood.  The man was discovered at about 7:15 to 7:20 am, Hill said.  “We’re just glad that he was found OK,” Hill added.  The man is from Marfa, Texas and is visiting relatives here.  He was taken by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation.

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Sheriff Hill wishes to thank the Lake Brownwood Bridge Volunteer Fire Department, DPS and Parks and Wildlife for their assistance in the search.