After a missing Montreal senior is found dead, a renewed call for Silver Alerts
Wife of victim asked police to send out alert, but service not available yet
An 85-year-old man with dementia has been found dead near his home in Montreal's Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough after going missing last Thursday.
Interviewed before Makram Ebeid's body was found, Antoinette Ebeid said it was "very hard" to see her husband's bed empty. They had been married for 57 years and she said she couldn't eat knowing her husband was on the street.
Despite her own health problems, she explained, she had been taking care of Ebeid, giving him his insulin shot once a day.
"I want to find him," she said.
After he disappeared, she said she asked police to send out a mobile phone alert to the general population.
Sending an alert out for missing seniors is not an option in Quebec as it is currently reserved for missing children with Amber Alerts and events posing an imminent threat to lives or safety. But a pilot project, known as Silver Alert, is underway in three sectors of the province.
A spokesperson for the Public Security Ministry said the pilot project will be evaluated over the winter. Following that evaluation, the project could be expanded.
Ruth Pelletier, founder of the Seniors Action Quebec, said mobile phone alerts should be expanded to people with dementia.
"It's necessary. It's a requirement, and let's also look into some security mechanisms," said Pelletier, suggesting devices that can be worn, like a wristband, that can help keep track of people's location.
As for Ebeid, his wife said he left home around 6 p.m. on Thursday while she was taking out the garbage.
He was last seen at the corner of St-Charles and Gouin boulevards in the West Island. Family and friends put up posters at nearby shops and malls. Police notified the media and stories were published.
Police also knocked on doors in the neighbourhood over the weekend. But the victim was found dead in a wooded area of his neighbourhood Monday.
His death is not considered criminal in nature, police said.
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with files from Rowan Kennedy