According to a Chatham-Kent Police Service media release, officers located an 88-year-old man from Wallaceburg on December 8, 2025, after he failed to attend a routine medical appointment at a patient-centred care clinic on Queen Street in Chatham. Clinic staff raised immediate welfare concerns when he didn’t show up at about 10:25 a.m.
Police used investigative leads and CCTV footage to narrow the search and located the man’s vehicle in the vicinity of Thamesville. Officers from across the municipality converged on the area and stopped the vehicle on Ridge Line near Blenheim. The man was unharmed and officers confirmed his welfare at the scene.
The swift response aligns with CKPS’s Four Cornerstones framework outlined in its 2025–2028 strategic plan. The outcome also underscores local initiatives designed to help locate vulnerable people quickly — including the Vulnerable Person Registry and Project Lifesaver, the latter delivered in partnership with Chatham-Kent Victim Services.
Brandon Ball, Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent, said the program provides ‘peace of mind’ to families caring for loved ones with dementia and other cognitive conditions.
CKPS stresses there is no 24-hour waiting period to report a missing person and urges families to call as soon as someone is unaccounted for. In an emergency, dial 9-1-1; for non-emergencies call 519-352-1234. Caregivers can register eligible relatives for the Vulnerable Person Registry through the Chatham-Kent Police Service website and find additional safety guidance there.
