A vulnerable pensioner who went missing from a care home and spent 13 hours in the open is none the worse for his ordeal, his family said.
Gordon Bentley, 77, who has dementia, disappeared from a Gomersal care home and wandered the streets, sparking a huge search.
He was found some 13 miles away in Bradford by an off-duty Holmfirth firefighter who joined the search in his own car.
Hundreds of people shared a Facebook appeal and dozens turned out to look for Mr Bentley.
The search was led by police and included a Sea King helicopter with a thermal imaging camera on board.
Mr Bentley’s grandson Lewis Richardson, 19, said his grandad was back home in Roberttown being looked after by his family.
Lewis said: “He went to hospital for a check up but physically he is perfectly fine. It’s such a relief to have him home.”
Lewis said the family wanted to thank everyone who had supported the search to ensure his grandad was found safe and well.
“The post I put on Facebook had 4,000 shares and I had 50 messages from people offering to help. I put the post on Facebook more in hope than anything else. The response was amazing.”
Lewis said his grandad was last seen at the Co-op in Birkenshaw and he and a volunteer with a dog searched fields nearby at 3am.
Mr Bentley was eventually found at 10am on Thursday by Holmfirth-based firefighter Mark Hemingway, 45, in Leeds Road, Bradford.
Mark had finished his shift as watch commander at Stanningley Fire Station and went off searching on his own.
He spotted Mr Bentley walking down the street and recognised him from a description – he had shaving cuts on his face – and a plastic beaker he was carrying.
Mr Bentley had just arrived at the care home for a respite stay.
Lewis said the family had feared the worst and added: “It was horrible, I am not going to lie, but there was a happy ending and we are so grateful to everyone.”
