Daughter of missing 81-year-old Winnipeg man with dementia wants silver alerts to appear on mobile phones | CBC News

Family and community members are continuing their search for a missing 81-year-old Winnipeg man with dementia, who went missing more than a week ago.

About 40 people scoured parts of the North Kildonan neighbourhood in northeast Winnipeg on Saturday for signs of Earl Moberg, who was last seen on Dec. 12.

His daughter, Britt Moberg, said he was on the phone with one of his sons around 6:30 p.m. that day. Based on what he said on the call, his family thinks he was walking near the Chief Peguis Trail underpass.

Britt, who flew in from Victoria to look for her dad, said she’s been doing whatever she can to try to find him.

“I’ve been out walking every day, making any phone call,” she said.

“I know he’s out there somewhere.”

He’s described as five foot seven with a medium build, short white hair and a white beard. He was wearing a dark blue or green parka when he was last seen, Winnipeg police say.

The family has teamed up with the Bear Clan citizen patrol group to search for Earl.

Saturday’s search along Chief Peguis Trail and parts of the Red River was the fourth time the Bear Clan has joined in to help.

“It’s heartbreaking for us, and we want to give the family some closure and some peace of mind that we are doing everything that we can,” said Angela Klassen, who works with the Bear Clan, at the gathering.

Klassen urges people who live in the area to check their yard and any outbuildings for Earl. Those who have large rural properties should also make sure to check their whole property.

Area resident Lorraine Langevin was also part of the search on Saturday.

“It’s hard. It could be your own dad, right?” she said.

Britt Moberg said it’s been overwhelming to see members of her dad’s community join in to help.

“I’ve seen people I haven’t seen … for years,” she said.

Silver alert issued

Winnipeg police issued a silver alert for Earl the night he went missing, but Britt said she wishes those alerts — which are intended to get the word out to the public about a missing adult who is considered vulnerable — showed up on people’s phones in the area, so more people would have known immediately he was missing.

“He really was in need of assistance,” she said.

“I think this is everyone’s worst nightmare who has a loved one in that situation, to have them lost like this. I wouldn’t want this to happen to anybody else.”

If Saturday’s search isn’t successful, Klassen said Bear Clan will plan another search in the next few days, likely in East St. Paul. The details will be posted on their social media pages.

Anyone with information regarding Earl Moberg’s whereabouts can contact the Winnipeg Police Service’s missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.