Hoopa man with dementia found safely in Eureka after search alert

An 80-year-old Hoopa man with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was found safely in Eureka after a Silver Alert sent motorists and neighbors across Humboldt County looking for Bert Snyder.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said Snyder was reported missing by his wife the morning of April 20, 2026, at about 7:51 a.m. Investigators believed he had left the couple’s residence sometime after 10 p.m. on April 19 and before the report was filed. The initial notice described Snyder as a white man, 80 years old, about 6 feet 3 inches tall, 225 pounds, with gray hair, a full beard and blue eyes.

Authorities also said Snyder may have been driving a red 2015 Buick Encore, and that he may have been traveling from Hoopa toward Willow Creek before the search widened. That route can quickly stretch into a broad and sparsely populated area. Willow Creek sits on the eastern edge of Humboldt County along Highway 299, about 35 miles inland, and the Willow Creek-Hoopa Valley census area covers about 920.8 square miles.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Silver Alert as the search unfolded, helping push Snyder’s description out across the region. In California, a Silver Alert is reserved for a missing person who is 65 or older, or who is developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired. The alert system is activated only after law enforcement has used available local resources and determined the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious. California’s Silver Alert law took effect in 2012 under Government Code section 8594.10.

Later the same day, the sheriff’s office reported that Snyder had been located safely in Eureka. The agency thanked the public for helping bring the search to a close.

The case underscores how quickly a missing-person report can turn urgent when an older adult with memory impairment may be driving through remote North Coast roads. In rural Humboldt County, details matter: the time someone was last seen, the direction they might have traveled, the vehicle they may be using and a clear physical description can help narrow a search that spans Hoopa, Willow Creek and beyond. In Snyder’s case, those details, plus the Silver Alert and public vigilance, helped end the search with a safe recovery.