Worried Bend gas station workers help missing Eugene-area man reunite with family

(Update: Missing man found at Bend gas station, reunited with family)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – An 84-year-old Eugene-area man reported missing and endangered early Friday was found and reunited with his family Friday night after concerned workers at a southeast Bend gas station called police to report an apparently confused man had been there for a few hours.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office had sent a public alert Friday evening, seeking the public’s help in finding Gordon Sage, who last was seen around 4 a.m. Friday at his home in the River Road area. Sgt. Carrie Carver said the family’s white 2011 Chevy Impala also was missing.

Carver said Sage hadn’t driven in over a year and might be suffering from dementia, as well as overdue for his daily medication. She said in the public alert that Sage had ties to the Portland and Bend areas, but that his direction of travel was unknown.

Around 1:30 p.m., Sage was spotted trying to enter the gates at Black Butte Ranch, on Highway 20 near Sisters, prompting an extensive search of the area by Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, said Sgt. Nathan Garibay, emergency manager.

“We searched all around their roads and highways out through Sisters,” Garibay said, adding that it can be challenging to search for someone driving if there’s no cellphone data to assist in locating them.

Workers at a Chevron gas station at Southeast Reed Market Road and Division Street said the man seemed fairly lucid when he first arrived, around 4 or 5 p.m., asking to use the bathroom and for a drink.

But they became concerned as the hours went by, when he began talking about dropping off his wife at that location, so they decided around 9 p.m. to call authorities and see if they could get him some help.

"I was just glad was okay - that he made it back to his family safe," Assistant Manager Allen Moore said. "Because I would have been worried about my grandpa if he was wandering around, and he was diabetic and had no idea what was going on. That would worry me a lot, too."

Sage told the gas station workers he was from both Yakima and Eugene, so they agreed he needed to be checked out, and a station attendant made the call.

Garibay said 911 dispatchers got the call from a gas station worker who said they’d become concerned about a motorist who had been there for a few hours and said he’d run out of gas, Garibay said.

Deputies and Bend Fire medics responded to the scene, determined it was indeed Sage and had him evaluated by medics before his granddaughter arrived to pick him up.

Nearby resident Kathleen Beck said she and her family had taken a walk to the gas station shortly after numerous deputies and fire medics arrived on the scene. She said she was gratified to see how well and sensitively they were treating the lost, now found man.

"With the way everybody is hating on police -- and I hate that -- they were incredible," Beck said. "The response was amazing for us to witness. We want to thank all of the first responders for their service. My family witnessed their greatness. What a blessing!"

Carver said in an update Saturday that Sage was home safely with his family and thanked everyone for their tips and assistance in finding him.