VERNON, CT — A 90-year-o0ld man with dementia who left Vernon Thursday morning was located safe on Long Island in his vehicle late Thursday night, local police said.
Police believe he was located by a flock camera.
Police said that Robert Gottier left his home Thursday morning in a 2016 silver Honda HR-V. He is a licensed driver, police said.
Gottier's vehicle was later seen in Springfield, MA, but police said Thursday afternoon there had been no contact with him since and a purple alert was sent out.
Somehow, he made it Hempstead, NY, police said. That is roughly a 130-mile drive that takes more than two-and-a-half hours from Vernon and crosses a major bridge. It's more than three hours from Springfield.
Police said they were hoping for a Flock camera to pick up his trail, and it appears one did just that. Vernon police were getting "flock hits" all night, a department spokesman said.
After 10 p.m. Thursday night, Gottier was found safe, police said.
Gottier had no cell phone, so the flock presence was key, police said.
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