"Report: Husband with Dementia Has Left Home"
A story has been shared about a man in his 70s suffering from dementia who boarded a train alone saying he was going to his hometown, but safely returned to his family thanks to the police's swift response.
On the 22nd, Seoul Police's official YouTube channel posted a video titled "70s Dementia Patient Reported Missing... Found on SRT Just Before Departure."
In the released video, around 7 a.m. on the 20th of last month at Seoul Suseo Station, an elderly man appeared to be wandering around looking for the train boarding gate. This man was the 70s missing person reported by his wife who was desperately searching for him. The wife reportedly called 112, saying, "My husband, who has dementia, left home saying he was going to his hometown."
The police, based on the elderly man's cellphone location, began a search together with the railway police. However, the man had already boarded the train. Hearing the man say "Iksan" during a phone call, the police hurried to the platform for the train bound for Iksan.
Fortunately, the police boarded the train one minute before departure. After asking for understanding from officials and citizens to halt the departure, they quickly searched the entire interior of the train and found the elderly man inside. Although communication was difficult due to his dementia symptoms, the police persuaded him and got off the train together.
The police stated, "Thanks to the cooperation of the citizens who helped search inside the train, the elderly man was able to return home safely."
Netizens who saw the video responded with various comments such as "Thank you to the police officers for your hard work," "Glad the elderly man could return safely," "Perhaps dementia is a disease scarier than cancer," and "The family must have been very surprised."
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