A confused man who suffers from dementia has been reunited with his family in Mississippi after he wound up at a Broome County convenience store.

Authorities say 80-year-old Richard Grant was lost and had not eaten or slept in more than 24 hours when he stopped at a Mirabito store on Downs Avenue in the town of Dickinson.

A sheriff's deputy was sent to the business along with medics to evaluate Grant. The man declined medical care and refused to go to a hospital.

Grant told the deputy that he was traveling from Mississippi to New Jersey to purchase heavy equipment.

Grant's family members were contacted in Mississippi. They said he had left his home Sunday while his wife was at church but they had not reported his disappearance to police.

Sheriff's deputy Richard Merrell provided assistance to Grant and helped arrange for him to be reunited with family members on Wednesday.

Sheriff David Harder urged people to contact law enforcement authorities right away when they discover a vulnerable person is missing. He said there is no "waiting period" to file a missing person report in New York state.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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