Published: 12/15/2018 4:08:14 PM
Modified: 12/15/2018 11:37:35 PM
Hanover — A 91-year old Kendal at Hanover resident who spurred frantic searches after he went missing on Friday was found dead on Saturday morning near the Connecticut River behind the retirement community.
A search team discovered the body of Stanley Myers at the bottom of a steep embankment near the edge of the river at approximately 9:43 a.m., according to a Hanover Police Department news release.
“It’s a sad day,” Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis said in a phone interview. “You always hope for the best when you set out on one of these kinds of operations. It’s always heartbreaking when it turns out this way because you feel sad for their loved ones who were holding out hope.”
Myers lived at Kendal with his wife, Margaret, who declined to comment on Saturday, according to Kendal Director of Public Relations Jeff Roosevelt.
“Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the Myers family right now,” Roosevelt said. “He has extended family, and we’re just trying to make sure we take care of anything they might need.”
Myers, who had issues with memory loss, according to Hanover police, left Kendal for a walk around 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Around 3:40 p.m., Hanover’s police and fire departments were notified he hadn’t returned. They began a search with assistance from Lyme police, the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team and New England K-9, Dennis said. The search later was turned over to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, who suspended the search at 11:30 p.m. and resumed it at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
In the meantime, the Kendal community was shaken.
“He had many friends, and they were obviously concerned that he was somewhere out there at night,” Roosevelt said. “We just did the best we could to let them know what was going on. It’s a close-knit community here.”
The New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene after Myers’ body was discovered, Hanover police said, and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
No cause of death has been determined, Dennis said, though there was no indication of foul play after a preliminary investigation.
When asked if Myers had likely fallen down the embankment, Dennis replied, “That’s the assumption.”
“Without any witnesses, it’s hard to say for sure,” he said. “The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.