An 80-year-old Pittsburgh man with dementia who disappeared Friday afternoon has returned home safely, police said Saturday morning, bringing a quick end to a search that stretched from Washington's Landing to Lawrenceville.
William Getty left his home on Waterfront Drive on Washington's Landing on Friday afternoon, according to WTAE. He was later spotted on foot near the intersection of 40th Street and Butler Street in Lawrenceville around 7:40 p.m. Friday, the station reported, citing police. Pittsburgh police said Getty suffers from dementia.
Police described Getty as 5 feet 10 inches tall and about 160 pounds, with hazel eyes, per the station's report. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black coat, possibly with a red shirt underneath, the outlet noted. Those details were circulated as Special Victims Unit detectives urgently asked the public for help locating him, according to a Pittsburgh Bureau of Police bulletin.
Search Ends With Relief Saturday Morning
The search concluded Saturday when Pittsburgh Police
announced on its official X account, @PghPolice, that Getty was safe. “UPDATE: William Getty returned home safely. Thank you to everyone who shared the information,” the department wrote. The department thanked everyone who shared the information.
The update offered welcome news after a tense Friday evening in which detectives pressed for tips on Getty's whereabouts. Police had asked anyone with information to call 412-323-7141 or 911, underscoring the urgency of locating an elderly man with dementia.
Community Response Helped Spread the Word
Pittsburgh's Special Victims Unit, which handles cases involving vulnerable missing persons, led the search for Getty from the moment he was reported missing. The quick turnaround between the initial appeal and Saturday's all-clear reflects how fast word can travel once police and neighbors share the same details across a close-knit stretch of the city spanning Washington's Landing and Lawrenceville.
