A South Carolina man who was recently diagnosed with dementia disappeared after getting off a cruise ship during a family vacation to Mexico.
Edmond Bradley Solomon III, 66, suffers from frontotemporal dementia, a cognitive disorder that alters a patient's personality rather than their memory.
"He sometimes says odd things and behaves erratically — or oddly — because he's just doing what he knows how to do," Solomon's daughter, Savannah Miller, told WCBD. "He can't process the same way you or I can."
Solomon was last seen on Wednesday afternoon, in Cozumel, Mexico. He and his wife, Mimi, had stopped to use the restrooms on the shore before returning to their cruise ship. Mimi reportedly waited for several minutes before sending another relative to look for Solomon. That relative realized that Solomon was not in the bathroom.
"That was the point that we knew he was lost," Miller told WCBD. "We know that no matter where he was he would have difficulty understanding what was going on and communicating his needs due to his dementia. I think everyone just immediately became so terrified for his safety."
Solomon was wearing a white t-shirt, gray shorts and sunglasses when he disappeared.
Solomon's family has been in contact with local law enforcement authorities, as well as the American embassy and consulate in Mexico. A family friend organized a GoFundMe so that Mimi could remain in the area as the search for Solomon continues.
"Mimi and Brad are both nurses that have dedicated their lives and careers to helping others," the GoFundMe reads. "Mimi works at the local VA Hospital and is one of the most compassionate nurses I have ever worked with. She is also a breast cancer survivor. Between cancer and dementia, they have been through so much in the last few years."
