Family of 83-year-old missing senior found safe after 5 days ‘overwhelmed,’ ‘speechless’

The family of a missing 83-year-old senior got its happy ending Wednesday morning after the man was found safe five days after he was last seen.

Domingos Martins, who has Alzheimer’s, was last seen on Friday, July 28 at approximately 4:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Avenue West and Jane Street area.

Superintendent Ron Taverner told Global News Martins was found along the fence line of the Highway 401 near Weston Road, about a 10 minute walk from the family home. He was on the ground and trapped between a fence and a building and could could not get up or move around.

Taverner said it was a female officer who was the first to approach Martins, who grabbed and squeezed her hand, in a very “emotional” moment for the police officer.

“It was a great, great outcome to what could have been a very tragic story,” said Taverner.

“I can’t say enough about how relieved we are that we were able to find Mr. Martins alive and get him to hospital.”

Along with the family, hundreds of volunteers and between 80 and 90 officers were involved in the search.

Family members told the media Sunday night that he left home to go for a walk in the park and never returned.

“I’m speechless,” Martins’ son-in-law Jack Da Silva. “What a phenomenal job the police have done. The media, the work that you guys all did. Friends, relatives, people we don’t even know, everybody – It was overwhelming.”

Da Silva said he never lost faith, but because of Martins’ condition and with him being trapped for so long,  to him, it’s a “miracle that came true.”

“It’s the first time I’m actually able to breathe normally.”

The family launched an increasingly large search for Martins, also known as the “Branco,” holding televised pleas and even issuing a $5,000 reward for any information in the case.

Martins is currently receiving treatment at hospital and Da Silva says him and the rest of the family are preparing “big hugs” for the reunion.