Missing Elderly Portsmouth Man Located after Brief Search

PORTSMOUTH, RI—An early morning search for a missing elderly man in Portsmouth on Thursday ended on a positive note when he was found about an hour-and-a-half after he was reported missing.

Portsmouth Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael P. O’Brien said that the department got the call at around 5:24 a.m. reporting the missing man, a 73-year-old with a history of dementia.

The man went missing in the area of 844 Union St. and firefighters responded to the location, collected information from family members and began a coordinated search.

A command post was established and members of the Portsmouth Police Department joined firefighters in the search, which ended at around 7:01 a.m. when the man was located in the Redwood Farms neighborhood.

Recue 2 crew members Lt. Norman Moore and Firefighter Tim Gumkowski spotted the man and began providing medical care before he was transported to Newport Hospital for further evaluation, O’Brien said.

Portsmouth Fire Chief Michael Cranson said he’s “extremely pleased with this outcome.

“I am glad the individual was located before any harm could come to him,” Cranson said. “I am very proud of the coordinated and professional response of all Portsmouth responders.”