An 88-year-old Indiana County man who became disoriented and wandered away from his parked vehicle early Thursday was located by a team of searchers, according to state police.
Trooper Clifford Greenfield said the man was found laying on the ground after two hours and was taken to an area medical facility for treatment of hypothermia as a precaution.
Greenfield said a homeowner on the 2000 block of Yellow Creek Road in Cherryhill Township in northern Indiana County alerted state police to a suspicious vehicle parked near his home about 5 a.m. Thursday.
“The homeowner contacted Troop A in Indiana after finding the vehicle with the keys left in it and observing someone walking away from the vehicle,” Greenfield said.
State police arrived within a half hour, gathered information and searched the area, but were unable to locate the person, Greenfield said.
Temperatures in the area dipped into the high 30s early Thursday with light rain.
Authorities learned that the unknown person who wandered away from the vehicle may be an elderly man from Penn Run, located about three miles away.
Greenfield said troopers requested assistance from the Cherryhill Township Volunteer Fire Company to help with an expanded search.
”At 6:38 a.m., while continuing to search the area, a trooper located the man on the ground behind a nearby residence along Yellow Creek Road and found him to be suffering from possible hypothermia,” Greenfield said. “Fortunately, it ended up working out well.”
Troopers rendered aid to the man, who was then covered with blankets and a hat. Citizens’ Ambulance Service took him to an Indiana area medical facility, Greenfield said.
Family members were notified.
