An 80-year-old Waldorf man with dementia who vanished near Regina Drive on Monday afternoon was found safe that night more than two dozen miles away in Calvert County, after a passerby recognized him and alerted authorities. Andrew Fobe was taken to a hospital for evaluation following the discovery, and officials confirmed he is safe.
The Charles County Sheriff's Office had asked for the public's help locating Fobe earlier Monday, saying he was last seen near Regina Drive in Waldorf and had been reported missing that afternoon. By 9:15 pm, the agency posted an update on Facebook confirming he had been located in Calvert County, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office said Fobe had recently been diagnosed with dementia, had no cell phone and no vehicle, and was described as approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 160 pounds, with a bald head. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with a floral pattern on the chest and black slacks with a red stripe down the side.
The distance between Waldorf and Calvert County illustrates just how quickly someone disoriented can cross county lines. Driving distance between the two areas ranges from roughly 26 to 40 miles depending on the exact location, according to transit mapping data — a trip that can take under an hour by car, even though Fobe had neither a vehicle nor a phone to call for help.
Why Wandering Is So Common With Dementia
Fobe's case reflects a pattern familiar to families managing memory loss. Roughly six in 10 people living with dementia will wander away from home at least once during their illness, often more than once, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Those who wander on foot are frequently found within about 1.5 miles of where they disappeared, though disoriented individuals can travel much farther if they end up mobile or using transit, per guidance shared by the City of Wheaton government.
Maryland has one of the highest dementia prevalence rates in the country among seniors. Roughly 12.9% of Maryland residents 65 and older were living with Alzheimer's disease as of 2024, Alzheimer's Association data compiled by Simpson Law PA shows, underscoring why cases like Fobe's are a recurring concern across the state, not just in Charles County.
How Maryland's Silver Alert System Works
Under Maryland Public Safety Code § 3-604, law enforcement agencies can request Silver Alerts through the Maryland Department of State Police for missing people with cognitive impairments such as dementia whose disappearance poses a credible threat to their safety, according to FindLaw's breakdown of the statute. In February 2024, state police updated the Silver Alert system to add multi-tier designations that distinguish between people likely traveling on foot versus those in a vehicle, allowing more targeted public notifications, Simpson Law PA reports. Maryland law also does not require any mandatory waiting period before reporting a missing vulnerable adult, meaning caregivers and family members can call police the moment someone goes missing, according to the Aberdeen Police Department.
Local Resources for Families Facing Memory Loss
Charles County offers several tools aimed at preventing and resolving cases like this one. The Charles County Sheriff's Office participates in Project Lifesaver, a program that equips county residents with dementia, Alzheimer's, or autism with radio-frequency tracking wristbands so deputies can respond quickly if someone wanders. The county's Department of Community Services also runs the National Family Caregiver Support Program under the Older Americans Act, offering outreach, counseling, and respite care to family caregivers.
More recently, local hospice organizations launched a Caregiver Academy across Southern Maryland this month, offering virtual support groups and hands-on caregiver boot camps, including events scheduled in Waldorf, according to the Southern Maryland Chronicle. The sheriff's office had asked anyone with information to call 911, and noted the photo circulated during the search was the only one available at the time.
