Silver Alert issued for missing Florida man. What does it mean and how can you help?

UPDATE: Mr. Thomas was located, the Sheriff's Office said.

Just after 3 a.m. Friday the Polk County Sheriff's Office issued a Silver Alert for a missing and endangered 65-year-old Lakeland man missing since Thursday afternoon. They reported him found later that morning.

Keith Howard Thomas of Munn Avenue was last seen leaving his home around 2 p.m. Thursday.

"Keith is considered missing [and] endangered due to showing early signs of dementia," the post to X, formerly Twitter, said, "and he takes seizure medication."

The PCSO posted again at 10:13 a.m., saying that "Mr. Thomas was located at a rest area in Lake City by a Trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol, and he is safe."

What is a Silver Alert?

The Florida Silver Alert is activated when a person suffering from "an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties" has gone missing, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Local and state Silver Alerts spread the word through local media, social media posts, highway signs and other methods to increase the chances of the missing person being found safely.

Florida's Silver Alert program was created by an executive order signed by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008 and codified into state statutes in 2011.

What should I do if I see the missing person in a Silver Alert?

If you see someone you believe is the subject of a Silver Alert or their vehicle, call 911 or *FHP to notify law enforcement. If the alert has a local contact number, call that.

Make a note of the person's whereabouts and, if they're moving, where they're going so you can pass that information along.

What is the criteria for a Silver Alert in Florida?

To have a Silver Alert issued for a missing person, they must:

• Be 60 years and older, OR
• 18-59 but lacking the capacity to consent AND
• have an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties (e.g. Alzheimer's disease or dementia) that has been verified by law enforcement
• be traveling by motor vehicle with an identified license plate number or other vehicle information

Silver Alerts are issued when law enforcement has determined that public assistance and highway dynamic message signs may be the only possible way to rescue them.

Can anyone request a Silver Alert?

No, Silver Alerts may only be requested by law enforcement agencies. If you would like to report a missing person, please contact your local police department or sheriff’s office first, then contact MEPIC at 1-888-FL MISSING (356-4774).

What other alerts does Florida have?

Florida also uses:

• AMBER Alert: Used to help find a child who has been abducted and is in danger. It's named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and killed in Arlington, Texas in 1996.
• Purple Alert: Issued to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from a mental or cognitive disability that is not Alzheimer's disease or a dementia-related disorder when their disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or seriously bodily harm.