Champion fire chief finds missing 81-year-old village man

LORDSTOWN — When an 81-year-old village man with onset dementia was found at 1:30 a.m. today, more than 9 hours after his family reported him missing, he told his grandson he “knew where he was going” and was fine.

The man, George Parks, was taken to a local hospital to be checked out for hypothermia but otherwise seemed to be OK, said Brent Milhoan, Lordstown’s police chief. The man was wearing some winter clothing, the chief said.

The search late Sunday in a swampy, hilly area of Lordstown behind Parks’ home on Highland Avenue Southwest near Salt Springs Road involved nearly 200 searchers at one point.

Champion Fire Chief John Hickey located the man as Parks walked north along state Route 45 near Ohio Commerce Center, about a mile west of Parks’ home.

Hickey was part of a second wave of searchers who responded after many of the first wave of searchers went home around 11 p.m.

Hickey spotted Parks as he drove south along Route 45 on his way to the Lordstown Village Hall.

For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com