Indianapolis police are asking for the public's help finding a 72-year-old man who disappeared from the city's east side this week, warning that he has Parkinson's disease and memory loss and may need medical attention. David Skirvin was last seen Thursday in the 5700 block of East New York Street, in the Irvington neighborhood, and investigators believe he is on foot.
The location where Skirvin vanished sits just east of Irvington United Methodist Church, according to wishtv.com. He is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. At the time he went missing, he was wearing a blue shirt, black athletic pants, gray shoes and large-framed glasses.
Health Concerns Raise Urgency
Police said Skirvin's Parkinson's disease and memory loss have left him with trouble speaking, and that he may need medical attention, according to the same report. IMPD detectives have asked the public to help locate him, as noted by WTHR. Officers believe he is traveling on foot, which has narrowed the search area to the Irvington neighborhood and its surrounding streets.
The combination of memory loss and communication difficulties means Skirvin may not be able to identify himself or explain where he lives if approached by strangers, the station's report indicates. That has added urgency to the search, with police emphasizing that time matters when a vulnerable adult with cognitive and medical conditions is unaccounted for.
How To Help
Anyone who spots Skirvin is urged to call 911 immediately, per the same account. IMPD is also asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact its Missing Persons Unit at (317) 327-6160, according to fox59.com. No additional details about his disappearance have been released.
