Family launches search for dementia patient who left NJ facility
STAFFORD — The family of Bu Quatch will mount a search of their own on Saturday for the missing 65-year-old man with dementia who wandered away from an Ocean County rehabilitation and nursing facility.
Quatch left the Manahawkin Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Route 72 last Friday and has not been seen in the week since despite a massive search last weekend by Stafford police utilizing resources from the New Jersey State Police Missing Person Unit, the Ocean County Sheriff's Department and several volunteer Search & Rescue teams.
Stafford police put a call out during the asking residents to review their video surveillance footage for any sign of Quatch, who also suffers from PTSD and does not speak English well.
"We have advised them where to conduct their search, which will be into the neighborhoods in Barnegat Township off of West Bay Avenue," Stafford police Lt. James R. Vaughn told New Jersey 101.5 in an email. "The Barnegat Township Police Department is aware of their search efforts, and all parties have been given specific resources to contact our department if necessary."
Vaughn said Stafford police have conducted searches all week with several volunteer Search and Rescue Units with their cadaver dogs in other areas along the wooded areas of the Garden State Parkway.
"We will pick up our search efforts Sunday and through next week again in these areas with the S&R Units and their cadaver dogs," Vaughn said.
Quatch's family from the Camden area will meet at Ocean Acres Lake Park on Buccaneer Lane in Stafford at 9 a.m. and begin searching at 10:30 a.m
In a Facebook post announcing the search, Quach’s son Jonathan wrote sought help from people familiar with the area or with tracking efforts.
The family has also created a GoFundMe page to help with the search's expenses and any possible legal action the family may take.
Bu Quach was last seen wearing a wearing a red sweater, dark green pants and a yellow wristband. The local police department also said he is not wearing shoes, and may have a blanket or some covering on his head. He is 5 feet 3 inches and 120 pounds with black Asian symbols on both forearms.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ