Missing Bend dementia patient found safe

(Update: Missing man found safe)

Bend police said late Saturday night they had found a 76-year-old resident with dementia who was reported missing and endangered a few hours earlier on the city’s south end, prompting an alert for the public to help watch for him.

Lt. Clint Burleigh said Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received information around 8:45 p.m. that Gerald Beard had walked away from a home near Romaine Village Way and Ridge Drive.

Beard, who has dementia, was not dressed for the conditions, and last was seen wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, Burleigh said.

Police were using several resources, including a K-9 team, in an effort to locate Beard. Burleigh said they also had been working with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to activate the Search and Rescue unit.

Anyone who sees Bear d was asked to immediately contact the 911 non-emergency number at 541-693-6911.

Around 11:30 p.m., Burleigh posted via social media that Beard had been found and was safe, and thanked the community for its assistance in helping look for him.

Burleigh said the extensive search also included Beard’s home, and he was found around 11:15 p.m., sleeping “tucked away in the house,” in a hidden spot. Police had searched the home twice before, along with several family searches.