CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A family is searching for answers after a South Carolina man went missing while vacationing in Mexico earlier this week.
Savannah Miller said her father, Edmond Bradley Solomon III, 66, was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a type of degenerative disorder that tends to affect a person’s behavior rather than memory.
“He sometimes says odd things and behaves erratically — or oddly — because he’s just doing what he knows how to do,” Miller explained. “He can’t process the same way you or I can.”
Solomon recently embarked on a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Mimi, and other family members — but their trip took a distressing turn when he disappeared during one of their stops in Cozumel, Mexico.
Miller said the couple got off the ship early Wednesday afternoon to use the restrooms before leaving the terminal.
“When my stepmom, Mimi, came out, he wasn’t there,” Miller said. “She thought he might still be in the bathroom, so she waited for him for a few minutes. He didn’t come out.”
Another family member went into the restroom to check on Solomon, but he was not there.
“That was the point that we knew he was lost,” Miller said. “We know that no matter where he was he would have difficulty understanding what was going on and communicating his needs due to his dementia. I think everyone just immediately became so terrified for his safety.”
The next morning, Miller said she received a call that her father was missing.
“I got the call about 5:30 in the morning, and I just froze,” she said. “I didn’t even know how to process this information.”
Local authorities said Solomon was last seen along the road of Isla de la Pasión in Cozumel on Wednesday evening. He was wearing a white T-shirt, grey shorts and dark sunglasses.
Solomon grew up in West Ashley and had spent his professional career working as a critical care nurse at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston, according to Miller. He is also an avid surfer and fisherman, although they said his condition has limited his ability.
“He liked to be with the people that he loved,” Miller said. “He was always making sure that we were safe and we were cared for no matter who it was. He’s always been a fixer and someone who’s just drawn to helping other people.”
Solomon’s wife has remained in Mexico while the search continues. Miller and other family members will join her this weekend.
“I’m really looking forward to having Mimi by my side and being able to give my dad a hug again,” Miller said.
The family has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and the U.S. Consulate.
In a statement to Nexstar’s WCBD, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Columbia field office said they’re aware of the missing person report but cannot comment at this time. The agency referred questions to the State Department.
