'I'm Speechless': Wife Spots Missing Husband With Dementia On News Segment

December 3, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Salt Lake City, Utah.

A 91-year-old man has been reunited with his wife after being missing for more than two days. Michael Black, a Korean War veteran from Afton, Wyoming, who lives with dementia, was discovered over 200 miles from home in Salt Lake City—a miraculous outcome shaped by good news coverage and compassionate individuals.

Michael Black | Credit: KSL

Michael wandered from home on Monday afternoon, leaving his wife, Avril Black, 77, desperately searching for him. Despite immediate efforts by the Afton Police Department, led by Officer Romberg, the search extended across multiple states. Romberg said they determined Michael had hitchhiked his way from Afton to Ovid, Idaho, then down to Garden City, Utah.

But then the trail went cold.

Meanwhile, a compassionate missionary found Michael at a Salt Lake City bus stop and brought him to the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake.

Back in Afton, Avril, still praying for answers, turned on the 10 p.m. news on Wednesday night. To her astonishment, during a segment about Thanksgiving meals at the Rescue Mission, she spotted Michael in the background of the footage.

“I paused the TV, set it back and yeah, sure enough there he was!” Avril told KSL News. “I mean it was so unreal, I saw the picture! I was so relieved, I actually slept that night knowing he was safe.”

Early Thanksgiving morning, the connection was confirmed. By afternoon, Avril was en route to Salt Lake City to bring her husband home.

“I’m speechless. It just blows me away that that happened. Boy, does he have some guardian angel looking after him,” Avril said, expressing deep gratitude to everyone involved, including the police, the missionary, the Rescue Mission, and KSL News.

Watch the video below.