An elderly man from Minnesota, who went missing after leaving his nursing home to grab a meal at McDonald’s, has been located safe and sound in Iowa. Despite driving over 200 miles away from his original location, he has been found unharmed.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Noah Kuboushek recalls a cold December night when he was on an overnight shift. He received a description of a missing man’s vehicle from city police in Minnesota. Later, while patrolling on Interstate 80, Trooper Kuboushek spotted the car.
“I just got in the right place at the right time,” Kuboushek said. “I saw what looked like the vehicle drive by me, and I pulled out behind it and I noticed that it was the same vehicle matching the same license plate.”
According to the trooper, the man had left his nursing home in Ramsey County, Minnesota with the intention of going to McDonald’s. However, he ended up driving all the way to Iowa. Kuboushek, the trooper, discovered the man on I-80 East in Iowa County, which was over 200 miles away from his home.
“He seemed to be shocked when I told him he was in Iowa,” Kuboushek said.
Trooper Kuboushek recounted how he transported the man to a nearby hospital, ensuring his well-being throughout the journey. Along the way, he even took the initiative to grab dinner, considering that he had noticed a McDonald’s bag in the man’s car. This detail made him uncertain about when the man had last eaten, prompting his thoughtful gesture.
“I asked if he was hungry and he kind of jokingly said no and I was like, ‘Yeah, you are.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I kind of.’ Then he said that he wouldn’t mind a hamburger if I got him something to eat, as long as I got myself something, too,” Kuboushek said. “As soon as I gave it to him, he started to eat and I think he was pretty happy.”
Upon reaching the hospital, Kuboushek took the necessary steps to ensure the man’s safe return home. He reached out to his family members, who subsequently traveled to Iowa in order to bring him back.
“The hospital staff was super good about taking care of him, they took care of everything and were awesome to work with,” Kuboushek said. “It’s kind of scary when somebody who is a vulnerable person in the community goes missing and especially being this far away from home. I’m sure that his family was worried, but they were happy to hear that we had found him. It feels good to do good and to know someone is grateful for you.”
According to Kuboushek, the man was successfully rescued thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Iowa State Patrol and the local Minnesota police.
“If one of my family members was in this position, I would want somebody to treat them with respect and just treat them the way I did,” Kuboushek said. “This is something we do as part of the job, but at the same time, it’s more than just that. You get to connect with someone who you may not ever see again, make a special connection with them, and return them home to their family.”
