On Monday, Aug. 19, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office ended its search for David Lamar Brown, age 70, who went missing last week while walking a dog in Brooksville.
Credit: HCSO
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced via press release that they received a call regarding Brown on Aug. 13. The caller noted that Brown had last been seen walking the caller’s dog in a wooded area on Batten Road in Brooksville between Deerfly Road and Family Lane.
The caller stated that he had been walking with Brown in the wooded area before briefly leaving Brown to retrieve something from home. The caller had left the now missing man “to continue exploring” the woods with the dog. However, the dog made a surprise appearance back at the caller’s house before he could return to the elderly man’s prior location. Despite searching the surrounding area for several hours, the caller was unable to locate Brown.
That is when the sheriff’s office got involved. According to a Thursday update posted on Facebook by the HCSO, authorities carried out organized grid searches throughout the area and utilized patrols, K-9 teams, drones and aviation to assist in the search.
Upon receiving the concerning news, the HCSO Civilian Mounted Unit and the Aviation Unit were dispatched. Authorities spoke with residents in the area and those with surveillance cameras were willing to review their logs and turn over footage of Brown to deputies. The recordings placed Brown walking through the wooded area at approximately 10:40 am and then revealed that he was heading southbound toward Hayman Road.
The HCSO also requested the aid of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, the press release noted. Pasco obliged, dispatched their bloodhound team, and “searched the area extensively.” However, they, too, came up empty-handed. Throughout the night, the search continued from above as the aviation unit and the deputies’ drones were equipped with infrared capabilities. Unfortunately, no heat signatures were found.
The search continued with various resources from departments such as the HCSO, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO), the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR), and volunteers from the HCSO Sheriff’s Emergency Response Volunteer team (SERV).
The sheriff’s office urges those who live in the area to call 9-1-1 or contact the HCSO at (352) 754-6830 if they see, have spotted, or supplied a ride to Mr. Brown in the last few days. Residents are advised to check their properties in sheds, outbuildings, parked vehicles, and other shrub-filled areas. The elderly Brown suffers from significant health issues. Below is a full description of David Lamar Brown:
White/Male
Approximately 70 years old
Grey hair
Grey goatee
Thin build
White shirt with blue stripes (ripped on the back)
Blue shorts
No shoes
Possibly one sock (was originally wearing shoes, though surveillance footage shows only one sock and no shoes)
Over the weekend, the Sheriff’s Office welcomed assistance from the public in the search for Mr. Brown and a special volunteer area was staged at the Community Bible Church on Griffin Road.
Authorities urge any members of the public who plan to continue searching for Mr. Brown to stay on public rights-of-way and off of private property, as property owners can request unauthorized individuals be trespassed.
As of Monday, The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office continued to assess the search data collected during the numerous attempts over six days to locate David Lamar Brown.
They ask anyone with any new information pertaining to Mr. Brown to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 352-754-6830.
