Personal Injury Law

Silver Alert: Elderly Sarasota Man Missing

By Chrissie Cole

A silver alert was issued for Ben C. Picauly, an 87-year-old man that went missing on Thursday, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Picauly, in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, was last seen riding a bike at 1091 Lake House Circle in Sarasota. He was said to be wearing a dark blue pullover sweater and gray pants. He is described as a while male, six-feet tall with gray/brown hair and weighing 150 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office at (941) 316-1201.

“Silver Alerts,” managed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, let the public know about mentally impaired elderly residents who wander from home. A person must be over the age of 60 and suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's before a Silver Alert will be issued.

More than 4.3 million Florida residents are age 60 and older, of them about 501,000 are probable Alzheimer’s cases. Alzheimer's disease causes disorientation, confusion, and memory loss and people who are afflicted, can forget their address, their phone number, or even their name.

The Silver Alert Program sends an automated phone call to every resident within a one mile radius of the missing person’s home. The message contains pertinent information, including a physical description of the person and the vehicle being driven.

So far 19 people have been found since Florida adopted the system in October. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on December 28, 2008 (boomark / email).