Missing man found dead

PRIEST RIVER — The search for an elderly Oklahoma man with dementia who went missing south of Priest Lake came to a tragic end on Tuesday.

“It was a big effort, but it was not the ending that we wanted,” said Bob Abbott, a public information officer with Priest Lake Search & Rescue.

The body of Willard Craig Jensen was discovered at about 3 p.m. in a wooded and muddy area south of Coolin. He was clad in an undershirt, long sleeves and pants. He was wearing socks but no shoes, Abbott said.

Abbott said Jensen, 80, was found on his back about 10 feet from a clearing in the woods. There man had no vital signs and there were no obvious signs of trauma.

An autopsy and cause of death are pending.

Jensen apparently suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, according to Bonner County sheriff’s officials. He was visiting relatives in the 6100 block of East River Road and was unfamiliar with the area.

Priest Lake Search & Rescue and Intermountain Search Dogs conducted a ground search for Jensen. A helicopter was scrambled from the 36th Rescue Squadron from Fairchild Air Force base to augment the search.

The crew aboard the rescue chopper spotted Jensen’s body as ground crews were making their way to the site, said Abbott. Jensen was found within a mile of the residence he was staying at.

Jensen was last seen at about 8 or 9 p.m. on Monday night and was discovered missing around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Abbott said.