Searchers track footprints from vehicle to find missing 85-year-old man with dementia in Cheboygan County

An 85-year-old man was found safe in Cheboygan County on Tuesday after being reported missing on Monday, the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Natural Resources say.

The subject was known to have dementia and short-term memory issues, officials say.

According to authorities, the man had left the Cheboygan area in his vehicle, leaving his cell phone, wallet and identification at home. He was last seen in the Onaway area at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, authorities say.

Family members told deputies that the subject enjoyed traveling on two-tracks and visiting parks whenever possible, officials say.

Authorities say that search efforts continued through Monday night and into Tuesday, using different vehicles to access difficult-to-reach two-tracks and remote areas.

Citizens riding dirt bikes in the area reported seeing a vehicle matching the man's vehicle description, but no one was near it at the time, officials say.

Search personnel located the vehicle and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding terrain before finding fresh footprints in the sand and following them to locate the missing subject.

The man was evaluated by Cheboygan County Life Support and turned over to his family.