Silver alert issued for 81-year-old city man

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This article was published 14/12/2023 (691 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The family of a missing senior who has dementia is calling for residents of River East to keep an eye out for him.

“He’s an avid walker, but now he’s a bit unsteady on his feet, and he tends to shuffle. He’s vulnerable and may not ask for help,” said Doug Moberg, brother of 81-year-old Earl Moberg, at Bunn’s Creek Centennial Park, where Earl was last heard from, on Tuesday.

“He’s wearing heavy clothing. Please, would you look on your property, buildings, sheds and cars… We hope that the community will support this search for him and it comes to a good conclusion.”

Winnipeg police put out another call to the public Saturday to search garages and outbuildings, and to review footage from home surveillance cameras. Police say they have received multiple tips on possible sightings of Moberg, which are being investigated.

Moberg was last heard from on Tuesday, when he called his wife and told her he didn’t know where he was. That’s when the phone went dead. The call was traced to Bunn’s Creek Park.

He was last seen wearing a dark blue or green parka. He may be wearing beige cargo pants and a navy blue military-style jacket. His family believes he may still be in the River East neighbourhood.

“I’m sure he knows we’re looking for him, but he’s dazed, confused, (in the) later stages of dementia,” Doug said.

The Winnipeg Police Service missing persons unit has activated a “silver alert,” which is used when a vulnerable adult is reported missing.

Moberg has walked off in the past, but has never gone missing for this long, his family says.

Kurt Moberg, Earl’s son, said the search is getting more desperate as the weather gets colder.

“As the days go on, it gets less optimistic. I think I would have seen him, though, if he fell down or something there’s a lot of people in the area so they would’ve seen him somewhere,” he said. “I’m thinking he might be hidden somewhere, or in someone’s house or something.”

Investigators say they have ruled out the possibility he fell into a body of water and are using drones and helicopters to look for him.

Anyone with any information should call the unit at 204-986-6250.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca