Makatu SAROP - The search for John Mohi
Makatu SAROP - The search for John Mohi
SAR Insight - The search for John Mohi (select the link to open the quarterly publication)
A five-day search for a 77 year-old Maketu man in February led to closure for his family and highlighted some important things to consider when people with dementia go missing.
When Police were notified of the missing man on the evening of 11 February, family members and volunteers from the Maketu community had already been searching for him for several hours.
John Moses (Mohi) had recently been diagnosed with onset dementia and took medication for bipolar disorder. He had set out on his daily walk early that afternoon and hadn’t returned.
The search operation that ensued was led by the Tauranga Police SAR squad and involved over 90 local volunteers, including LandSAR and Surf Life Saving teams. Sadly, on 16 February Mr Mohi was found deceased.
The publication article also gives further accounts on:
- Search timeline account from 11 Feb 2019 to 16 Feb 2019 and
- Reflection of the operation