'A piece of our hearts missing:' B.C. family announces tragic end to search for missing man with dementia

A 64-year-old man who went missing from his Saanich long-term care home on Nov 23 has been found deceased on the Westshore – with his wallet and Cleveland Browns trading cards, according to family.

“I’m sad, you know, I’m sad for the outcome. And so is my family. His daughters are just devasted… It’s the outcome we all didn’t want. And there’s a lot of anger there on how this happened,” says Chris's Dube's niece Brittany. “There’s going to be a piece of our hearts missing forever.”

Brittany says she was contacted by police Saturday, Nov. 30 asking to visit her home around 6:30 p.m. Upon arrival she was told her ‘Uncle Dusty’ had been found deceased on Spencer Road in Langford, a roughly 20 minute drive from where a search and rescue command station had been set up for two-and-a-half days.

“We were all looking in the wrong places,” says Brittany. “They suspect that he had sat down to go through his backpack and probably suffered a medical emergency.”

The family had been raising concern throughout the week-long search for Chris, that he relied on medications for his well-being. The grandfather of three also has dementia – and they believed he would’ve been disoriented.

“I hope he went in peace,” says Brittany. “I’m very grateful for the security guard that found him. I understand it was very hard on him and I appreciate him being with my uncle until paramedics arrived.”

Chris walked away from Veterans Memorial Lodge, where his family claims he was flagged at risk of elopement and was in a secured part of the facility as a result.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loves ones during this profoundly difficult time,” says Broadmead Care CEO Derrick Bernardo. “This is a heartbreaking loss for everyone in our community, including residents and their families, and the staff and volunteers who knew and cared for Chris.”

Broadmead Care says it’s offering grief counselling and support services to anyone who needs it. It also reiterates that staff continue to work with authorities surrounding “this event” and that it’s reviewing safety protocols.

The BC Coroners Service has an open investigation on the case and cannot provide details as a result.

“More broadly, at the end of the investigation, once the coroner has reviewed all the information available to them, they will either issue a coroners report – which can include recommendations of the coroner to prevent a death from occurring again in a similar manner or request an inquest be directed by the chief coroner,” a spokesperson says. 

Calls for change

Brittany says the family wants to see systemic change on the heels of their heartbreak.

“I have many people in my life that have loved ones in care and everybody’s questioning it now. How do we prevent these people from exiting a locked facility?”

She’s also advocating for better streams of communication when adults who are deemed vulnerable go missing.

“We don’t protect them like we should,” says Brittany. “I want a silver alert ASAP. We’ve created a petition. We’re hoping to get as many signatures as we can because this has to change.”

Brittany says she’s committed to advocating at a higher level going forward, while trying to find answers to many outstanding questions and grieving the loss of her uncle.

She describes her uncle as a family man who liked to be at home – which he would’ve considered the Esquimalt, Admirals Road area.

“I’m at a loss for words. I really am. I don’t know really what to do next,” says Brittany. “There’s a lot of anger and a lot of sadness.”