CBS DFW reports that on May 20, the Irving Police Department requested that the Texas DPS issue a Silver Alert for the disappearance of 69-year-old Sabino Hernandez. Three days later, police discovered his body close to the Trinity River near Loop 12 and Westmoreland.
Hernandez was last seen on Thursday, May 19, at 7:45 p.m. The senior was walking on foot near the 2200 block of Riverview Dr. when he vanished without a trace. His family never heard from him again.
According to NBC DFW, a Texas Silver Alert is a notification by The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the public about an endangered or missing person. The purpose of a Silver Alert is to make sure that the person is found as soon as possible. An alert can be issued for any person, but usually, they are for children and adults who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The DPS also has guidelines for how agencies should issue these alerts, including how they should be updated and what information they should include.
CBS DFW reports police said that Sabino Hernandez had been previously diagnosed with dementia and other health conditions, some of which required daily medications that he could not live without.
It is unclear what caused the death of Hernandez or what he was doing when he died. The police have released no official statement.
Alzheimer’s and dementia are two of the most common diseases in older Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, with more than 5 million Americans over 65 suffering from it.
When a person with dementia goes missing, it is essential to find them quickly. Help for Alzheimer’s Families publishes steps one can take when trying to find someone with Alzheimer’s who has been missing for over 15 minutes.