An 81-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman, Carol Tormey, has been missing since last Sunday, triggering a concerned search by both authorities and family members, as she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. NBC Miami reported her disappearance and the police alert, detailing that she is roughly 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs approximately 150 lbs, and was last seen in the area of the 1500 block of S Ocean Lane in Fort Lauderdale.
Silver alerts for Tormey describe her as potentially traveling in a 2018 black Chevrolet Colorado, Florida tag number GYNM49, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police Department post on X.
#FLPD A Florida #SilverAlert has been issued for Carol Tormey, last seen in the area of the 1500 block of S Ocean Lane in #FortLauderdale. She may be traveling in a 2018, black Chevrolet Colorado, FL tag number GYNM49. Carol may be in the Miramar area. Call police with any info. pic.twitter.com/CA6Il2npt5
— Fort Lauderdale Police (@ftlauderdalepd) July 22, 2024
Police suggest she may be in the Miramar area, while a statement obtained by Local 10 News from Tormey's son, John, indicates that she left the family home after her husband took a nap and license plate readers picked up her vehicle heading north on US-1 to Deerfield Beach before she doubled back south towards Sheridan Street and A1A.
The search for Tormey grows increasingly urgent as her condition could leave her disorientated and vulnerable, "She gets tired quickly, she gets disoriented and I’m just hopeful whoever sees her will call us," Niria Tormey, Carol’s daughter-in-law, told Local 10 News. Relatives and authorities are distributing missing person flyers in the hope of gathering any information that could aid in locating her.
To assist in the search, the family made tech-savvy preparations by placing Apple AirTags in Carol’s possession which provided some trace of her movements, with John Tormey stating, “We have air tags with her, there is one in her purse, one in her keys and one in the truck, and those were spotted going west on Miramar (Parkway),” according to Local 10. However, all signals from the tracking devices ceased simultaneously at 12:44 a.m., adding a further layer of mystery and urgency to her safe return, it's there the Apple air tags could no longer be traced which stoked fears for Carol's wellbeing and safety as time is of the essence.
The family maintains hope and request the public's assistance; "I think that there is good people out there in this world and I think that she is with one of them, but she just can’t express to them what her name is," John Tormey expressed confidence in the goodness of strangers in his interview with Local 10. Anyone with information regarding Carol Tormey or who believes they have spotted her or the vehicle she may be driving is strongly urged to call the police and aid in the effort to bring her home safely.
