Wandering Grafton man found after search

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

An 82-year-old Grafton man suffering from dementia was reported missing on Sunday night when he went outside his Chester Road home, but did not return after an hour.

The Vermont State Police began searching for Thomas Brown  just after 7 p.m.  A “canine track” began at about 8:15 with the thermometer hovering between 25 and 28 degrees F.

The Grafton Fire Department assisted with a road search and at about 8:45, state police asked Chester Police to check the roads, noting that Brown had a three to  three and a half hour jump on searchers.

Troopers searched up and down Route 35, checking houses for signs of Brown. At one point state police received a report that a second homeowner living out of state had seen someone around her house on a surveillance camera. It turned out to be a trooper looking for  Brown.

At 9:23 p.m. police received a report that the man had been located at a house on Putnam Forest Road 2.6 miles from his home. Residents at that address returned Brown to his home.