70-year-old man still missing after going for walk in Brooksville, officials searching wooded area

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Deputies are still searching for a 70-year-old man who was reported missing after the dog he was walking with returned to a Brooksville home without him on Tuesday afternoon, according to officials.

According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, someone called to report a missing person around 1:30 p.m. The caller told law enforcement that he had been walking with David Brown in a wooded area on Batten Road in Brooksville.

The caller's dog was also with the two men, according to deputies.

Authorities say the caller said he briefly went back to a home to get something, leaving the dog and Brown to continue exploring.

Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office 

Before the caller was able to return to the wooded area, he told deputies that the dog arrived at the home without Brown. The caller said he searched the wooded area for several hours before notifying the sheriff's office.

Patrol deputies, K-9 teams, deputies with drones, the HCSO Civilian Mounted Unit, and the HCSO Aviation Unit immediately began searching when they arrived at the scene, according to officials.

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The sheriff's office says some residents in the area had surveillance cameras and checked the footage. According to deputies, there was video of Brown walking through wooded areas around 10:40 a.m.

Authorities say he was walking southbound, toward Hayman Road.

Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office 

Shortly after arriving at the scene, deputies requested help from the Pasco Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit and a K-9 team (bloodhound) was dispatched to help with the search.

Deputies say the team searched the area extensively but did not find the man.

Throughout the night, the HCSO Aviation Unit and deputies with drones (both equipped with infrared capabilities) continued to search the vast wooded area. However, the sheriff's office says they were still unsuccessful.

Search efforts continued Wednesday morning with numerous resources from the HCSO, the Pasco Sheriff's Office (PSO), the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR), and volunteers from the HCSO Sheriff's Emergency Response Volunteer team (SERV), according to officials. 

Investigators are asking residents in this area to check their properties, any sheds or outbuildings, parked vehicles, areas of brush/shrubs, etc., for Brown.

Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office 

Brown is described as a 70-year-old white man. He has grey hair, a grey goatee and a thin build.

Officials say he was last seen wearing a white shirt with horizontal blue stripes (ripped on the back), blue shorts, no shoes and possibly one sock. According to deputies, he was originally wearing shoes, but surveillance footage shows he was only wearing one sock and no shoes.

Officials say Brown has significant medical issues.

If you see, or have seen, Brown, or know his current whereabouts, you are asked to contact the Hernando County Sheriff's Office at 352-754-6830 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.  

The sheriff's office says if anyone gave Brown a ride they should contact authorities.

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