JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Detective James Vasconcellos, left, and the Honolulu Police Department's medical examiner reviewed yesterday the body of Elaine Uyeda of Kapahulu, who was found around 10 a.m. near the entrance to Diamond Head State Park.

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Missing woman
is found dead

Alzheimer's patient Elaine
Uyeda, who wandered off,
is found near Diamond Head

The search for 86-year-old Elaine Uyeda ended just as it began, when a police helicopter spotted her body outside Diamond Head Crater yesterday morning.

The discovery was made at 10:10 a.m. as police were getting ready to search the area with canine units and their mounted patrol. Uyeda's body was in a drop-off on the side of the road that leads into Diamond Head Crater. Police said she was wearing the same pink and green muumuu that she was last seen in about 4:50 p.m. Saturday.

"It was the beginning of our full-blown search when they spotted her from the air," said investigator Phil Camero. "At this juncture we do not suspect foul play."

Police said they believe Uyeda had been spotted Saturday about 10 minutes after she had been reported missing at "Lookouts" off Diamond Head Road. Camero said police searched the area that night and the next day with no success.

Police said Uyeda suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had a history of wandering off from her family's home on McCorriston Street, located less than half a mile from the road into Diamond Head Crater. During those occasions, she was located at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii or the Prince Kuhio hotel.

A grandson of Uyeda said the family did not want to comment about her death, but did want to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease, something Camero said every family should be prepared to deal with.

Elaine Uyeda: The 86-year-old had a history of wandering off from her family's home

"Once family members see their loved ones in the early stages of forgetfulness, they should take necessary precautions," Camero said. "The Alzheimer's Association of Hawaii is an excellent resource to protect loved ones from wandering."

Alzheimer's Association officials said Uyeda was registered with them but that because of the area she was wandering in, even a call to alert them to her disappearance over the weekend might not have made a difference. According to the association, an estimated 96 percent of seniors who are registered with them are found compared with 46 percent of unregistered seniors.

However, in most of those cases, the wandering person is usually found by good Samaritans who spot the identification bracelet in public areas. In this case, Uyeda disappeared during the early evening hours near a park that closes at 6 p.m., limiting the number of people she could have come in contact with.

"The place where she was found would have been challenging," said Janet Eli, president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer's Association of Hawaii. "Just last week, we had someone who was lost found in 20 minutes.

"Sometimes circumstances happen that you can't avoid, and she's in that 4 percent."

Eli urges anyone who knows of a relative with Alzheimer's disease or demonstrating early stages of it to register with the association's Safe Return Program. Calls may be made to 591-2771 on Oahu or 800-272-3900 from the neighbor islands.