By BRIDGET COOK
THE family of a well-known Casey man have made a desperate plea for information on his disappearance after he went missing yesterday afternoon.
Elderly Clyde resident Ivan Clarkson, 80, was last seen filling up his car with petrol at the Coles Express service station on Sladen Street just after 1.30pm.
He was on his way to a doctor’s appointment but failed to show up.
His family have now made a plea for any information about his disappearance as they are concerned about his welfare due to his age and his need for daily medication for a number of health issues.
Mr Clarkson is a well-known local identity, with his family living and owning businesses in the area since 1968, including child care centres and the Blue Hills Retirement Village.
“We are at a lost as it’s completely out of character,” said his grandson Tim Smith.
“He is completely family orientated and would never do anything like this, but something has obviously happened.
“He was doing nothing out of ordinary, just going to see a GP to have a check-up.
“He’s a lovely old man, you would never expect to do something like this.”
His daughter Jodie Mitchell said the family and police desperately wanted to locate his car, a 2011 white Lexus station wagon with the registration YDB 917.
“He couldn’t walk a long distance away from his car as he has a knee issue and wouldn’t be able to walk any more than a couple of hundred metres,” she said.
“I’m concerned as we think he’s got a urinary tract infection (UTI), which was why he was going to the doctors, and sometimes UTIs can make you a little disoriented.
“That’s my concern – that he has collapsed in his car somewhere or has stopped to go to the toilet and tried to hide behind a bush and has passed out.
“He won’t be far from the car unless something bad has happened to him or it’s been stolen.”
Ms Mitchell said the family had been searching non-stop for the past 24 hours.
“We’ve got a big family and have been driving everywhere we can think of for the past 24 hours,” she said.
“He’s never gone missing before, it’s completely out of character.
“He’s been through healthy issues and has come out the other side and is in a good frame of mind.
“Just this weekend he was cheating at cards and back to normal.”
Mr Clarkson is 178cm tall, of medium build, has a fair complexion, blue eyes, silver hair, walks with a limp and is slightly hunched over and his hand shakes when he walks.
He was last seen wearing a white shirt with brown stripes, beige trousers and beige shoes.
Police have released an image of Mr Clarkson and urged anyone who sees him to contact triple zero.
