Search Expands for Missing Ramona Man

Carl Salayer, 67, was last seen at his home on Handlebar Road in Ramona on Monday

The search for a missing Ramona man entered its second day Wednesday.

Carl Salayer, 67, was last seen on Monday when he went to bed. Investigators believe he left his home in the 17000 block of Handlebar Road in Ramona between 2:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and has not been heard from since.

The missing man’s wife of 48 years told NBC 7 that she is worried sick because her husband needs his medication. She said he suffers from Parkinson's disease and dementia.

Investigators said Salayer also has a feeding tube and might only be wearing his undergarments since he disappeared in the middle of the night. He may run if approached.

On Wednesday evening, searchers were focusing their efforts in Lakeside where a retired deputy believes he spotted the man Tuesday.

Officials describe the missing man as 6-foot-3 and 150 pounds with blue eyes, balding gray hair and a moustache. A command post for the search has been established at Highland Valley and Handlebar roads, close to Salayer’s home.

For San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Don Parker, the search for Salayer is tedious work.

Parker and a team of volunteer searchers have been scanning the ground for footprints, looking for any possible trace of the missing Ramona man.

“Mornings and evenings are best because the light comes in and it highlights all the little ridges,” Parker explained.

Family and friends said this isn’t the first time Salayer has had people out looking for him. He’s wandered off before, but never for this long.

“He’s always comes back or someone has seen him or found him within a few hours,” said Danell Marks, a family friend.

“He just plain old disappeared,” added Parker.

Word of the missing man has started to spread around Ramona. Total strangers have showed up to help in the search, and officials said they could use the extra eyes, as it’s a difficult area to be searching.

"There's a lot of dense brush and some outbuildings. Every building here has two or three outbuildings," Parker said.

So, from house to house, the search teams have been talking to residents, searching their properties and asking them to be on the lookout for Salayer.

“We’ll just do it one step at a time. That’s all we can do,” Parker added.

The sheriff’s department said residents should expect increased law enforcement activity in the area Wednesday due to the ongoing search. Anyone with information on Salayer’s whereabouts should contact the sheriff’s department at (858) 565-5200.
 

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