Missing Oil City man found safe

OIL CITY, La. (KSLA) — A missing Oil City man was found safe and unharmed at 8:20 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 by Caddo sheriff’s patrol deputies.

Alfred Blankenship, 80, was in woods behind the closed Oil City Elementary Magnet School when he was located, the Caddo Sheriff’s Office reports.

Blankenship walked out of the woods to deputies on his own. A North Caddo Medical Center ambulance was called took him to the Vivian facility for evaluation.

The man went missing from his home around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Dozens of Caddo patrol deputies organized a search-and-rescue plan and found him with the aid of a drone equipped with night vision capabilities.

Blankenship, known to many as “Fluffy,” had last been seen at his home in the 200 block of North Ardis Avenue. On Sunday, Feb. 5, at 3:41 p.m., patrol deputies responded to a report of concerns that he was missing.

Caddo 911 dispatch records show deputies began an intense search effort about 3:41 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6. At one point, it concentrated on an area near his home and along Ferry Lake Road, a spokesman said.

“He is known to walk the town of Oil City, La., at all hours of the night; but family is worried because he has shown signs of dementia and did not return home as usual,” said an earlier statement from the Sheriff’s Office. “The areas he frequents have been checked, as well as hospitals and local shelters.

“Considering the circumstances, deputies with the Caddo Sheriff’s Office continue to search Oil City in hopes of finding Blankenship safe.”

No foul play was suspected.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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