English
A Penticton family is urgently appealing to the public for help finding 72-year-old Lawrence Jerry McAnulty, a local senior with dementia who has been missing since late October.
Family Searches Downtown Penticton
McAnulty, who goes by Jerry, was last captured on security video on the morning of October 23 in the lobby of his apartment building, located just a few blocks from downtown Penticton. His daughter, Carmen Gee, received a text from him the following day. However, she has heard nothing since.
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“I had gone a little bit of time without contacting, which was not abnormal,” Gee said. “We would always check in here and there.” After a wellness check at his apartment earlier this week found no sign of him, family members reported him missing to police.
Gee and other relatives are now searching Penticton’s downtown area, where McAnulty was known to walk regularly. They are posting flyers, speaking with local business owners, and asking residents whether they have seen him. “Check your cameras, check your sheds, just please keep eyes out everywhere,” an emotional Gee urged the public.
Dementia Raises Concern for Family and Rescuers
McAnulty’s dementia makes the situation especially worrying. “With him having dementia, so many possibilities are running through my mind and everyone else’s,” Gee said.
Officials with Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) say searches for missing seniors with dementia are not uncommon. COSAR search manager Ed Henczel says the organization responds to such cases 10 to 15 times each year. In some instances, missing individuals have turned up far from where they disappeared.
“We had one subject leave Cottonwoods and was found in McKinley Landing, almost 18 kilometres away,” Henczel said. “They are just like toddlers when they want to get going; they can go pretty fast.”
Search Extends Beyond City Limits
Gee is also asking people on the outskirts of Penticton to stay alert. She has not ruled out the possibility that her father may have headed north toward Oyama in Lake Country or Vernon, where he has strong personal ties.
Meanwhile, multiple attempts to ping McAnulty’s cell phone location have so far been unsuccessful. Henczel noted that tracking tools can be vital in situations like this. “If you could put an AirTag on a piece of clothing or buy grandpa an iPhone that you can track,” he said, it could make a significant difference, particularly as colder weather sets in.
How to Report a Sighting
Penticton RCMP describe McAnulty as having white hair and a white beard. His family believes he may be wearing a blue toque. Police are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact them directly.
Gee is also asking anyone who spots McAnulty or has relevant information to contact her directly at 250-551-7551. The family remains hopeful that someone in the community will come forward with a lead.
