An elderly Scarborough man who went missing in a heavy snowstorm Thursday has been found dead.
The man was found shortly after police held a press conference asking the public to check their yards for any sign of the man.
Phillip Phen was last seen at around noon in Agincourt, near McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue East. He was inside a building with his wife when he managed to walk ahead and follow someone into an elevator.
His wife, who has trouble walking, could not keep up with him and by the time she got to the ground floor, her husband was nowhere to be seen.
A witness saw him walk east on Sheppard Avenue. He was found in a partially covered clearing at the bottom of a stairwell that was snow covered and slippery. The stairwell is located close to the building where he lived.
Police said multiple officers searched the area thoroughly and they believe Phen may have made his way back after the search occurred.
Phen was diagnosed with an advanced case of dementia and his family said he didn’t have the ability to communicate. He was not dressed for the weather when he went missing. Police said at the news conference that if he was stuck outside, the situation would be “dire” for him.
Police had set up a command post at 4725 Sheppard Ave. East. Officers conducted an extensive search last night with no success but had expanded their efforts today.
The man has gone missing once before. He wandered away six months ago, police said, but was found later that day near the Scarborough Town Centre. This time, the mall had been thoroughly checked but there was no sign of him.
