Florida Silver Alert issued for missing Spring Hill man, 78

Drivers on U.S. 19 and neighbors in Spring Hill were asked to keep watch for Larry Hackett, a 78-year-old Hernando County man who was reported missing after he was last seen leaving the area of Riviera Court. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Silver Alert for Hackett on June 2, then later listed it as canceled.

Hackett was last seen around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, in the 4200 block of Riviera Court in Spring Hill. Officials said the concern extended beyond the neighborhood because he may have traveled north along U.S. 19, with the Cross City area in Taylor County specifically mentioned as part of the alert. For Hernando County residents, the notice meant extra attention for anyone driving, working, or shopping along the corridor that connects Spring Hill to points farther north.

Authorities described Hackett as a white male with white hair and brown eyes. He was listed as 6 feet 2 inches tall and about 170 pounds. Deputies also asked the public to look for a 2015 Ford Fusion with Florida tag BSY1Y, a detail that made the alert especially important for motorists, gas-station workers, convenience-store employees, and others who might have seen the car moving through local roads.

FDLE uses Florida Silver Alerts to help locate missing people suffering from an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties, and the state plan allows for both local and statewide activation. In Hackett’s case, the alert spread quickly across law enforcement channels because authorities believed he was missing and endangered enough to require a broader public response. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office handled tips tied to the case.

The alert also fit into a pattern of recent missing endangered adult cases in Hernando County. The sheriff’s office previously handled a Local Silver Alert for Richard Ratliff in March 2026, underscoring how often these notices become urgent, community-wide searches rather than routine advisories.

FDLE later listed the Larry Hackett Silver Alert as canceled and directed questions to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Even after cancellation, the alert showed how quickly a Spring Hill disappearance can become a countywide concern when an older adult is unaccounted for and a vehicle may be part of the search.