Athanasia Coulianidis.
A short Facebook post from the Clearwater Police Department included the truncated text, “UPDATE: She has been...”
A Search That Began Thursday Morning
According to the same post, Coulianidis's family contacted police Thursday morning after discovering she was no longer at her Sand Key condo. She was described as 83 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and living with dementia, a condition that can heighten the danger of a disappearance for older adults who wander away from familiar surroundings.
A disappearance involving dementia can become dangerous quickly: the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that six in 10 people living with dementia wander at least once, and some do so repeatedly. The association says people may lose the ability to recognize familiar places, making it possible to become lost even in surroundings they once knew well.
Police had asked the public to watch for a woman last seen wearing navy blue pajamas with white polka dots, a detail included in the original appeal for help locating her. The department had listed 727-562-4242 as the number for anyone with information to contact Clearwater Police, though with Coulianidis now located, that specific tip line purpose has been resolved.
Florida’s alert system distinguishes between local and statewide Silver Alerts. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement recommends local alerts for eligible missing people with dementia, while a statewide Silver Alert also requires the person to be traveling in a vehicle with identifiable information. Local agencies set their own criteria for alerts involving someone missing on foot, so the public appeal in this case does not by itself establish whether an alert was activated.
Limited Details Released So Far
Beyond confirming that Coulianidis has been found, the department's update offered no additional information about her condition or the circumstances of her location. Hoodline will update this story if Clearwater Police release further details about the case.
