ERMA — A report was received from Cape Island Campground on Route 9, Aug. 19 about 8:10 p.m. of an Alzheimer patient who was missing. Lower Township police responded.
They were told of a 71-year-old man, who suffers from the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, who was missing from the family’s campsite some time between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. They assumed he was sleeping in a trailer, until they checked.
After several hours of unsuccessfully attempting to locate him on their own, they reported the matter to police.
Lower Township police, along with Cape May County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit and Erma Volunteer Fire Company began a grid search of the area.
Additional follow ups were conducted by detectives and various locations throughout the state were checked.
Police who had received training in handling of those types of missing persons cases told the family that the subject may have gone to a place where he had previously gone.
With that information, the brother of the missing man stated that whenever he was in Philadelphia, he would go to a certain diner in the northeast section of that city.
Detectives contacted that diner, spoke with a waitress, and gave her a description of the missing man.
She told police he was currently there eating breakfast. Family members from the area responded and picked up the man, identified as John Woodford of Shepard Avenue, Runnemede.
Investigating the case were Patrolman Pat Greene, Sgt. John Chew and Detective Robert Smith, The Detective Bureau, administrative officers and patrol personnel provided additional assistance.
