Broadview Heights police are asking the public to help locate Nak Sung, 69, who left home on foot Thursday morning without his wallet or phone. He was last seen at 7:51 a.m. on Nov. 5. Police believe he may be experiencing early-onset dementia, Cleveland 19 News reported.
Cleveland 19 News reported that Sung’s wife contacted police Saturday after the family had not seen or heard from him. An Endangered Missing Adult Alert lists his home on Emerald Creek Drive in Broadview Heights as the place he was last seen. He left without telling anyone where he was going and took none of his belongings.
No Wallet, No Phone, and Worsening Weather
The alert cites the cold, wet weather and Sung’s lack of resources as reasons for concern about his safety, according to Cleveland 19 News. It also says he is known to travel by RTA; the information does not establish where he may have gone.
As noted by Cleveland 19 News, police describe Sung as 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 149 pounds, with black, balding hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored hoodie, a green vest jacket, blue jeans, and a gray baseball cap.
A Troubling Pattern of Disappearances
Sung was also reported missing in July and spent about four days alone in the Cleveland Metroparks before being found at Brecksville Reservation, Cleveland 19 News reported.
Wandering and the previous search
The Alzheimer’s Association says six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do so repeatedly. That general statistic does not establish why Sung left. The association’s guidance discusses wandering and safety measures for caregivers. Cleveland Metroparks describes Brecksville Reservation, where Sung was found after the separate July disappearance, as its largest reservation, covering more than 4,300 acres. That information does not indicate that he is currently there. Cleveland Metroparks provides information about the reservation.
Anyone with information on Sung’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Broadview Heights Police Department at (440) 526-5400.
