Hernando County Issues Silver Alert for Missing Spring Hill Man Ratliff

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office issued a Local Silver Alert after Richard Ratliff, who left his Timbercrest Road residence in Spring Hill at about 1:51 p.m., was reported missing, deputies said. Ratliff’s vehicle, described as an orange 2021 Chevrolet Blazer with a black top and Florida license plate 78DSKN, was reported spotted near the intersection of Cortez Boulevard and Mariner Boulevard at roughly 4:00 p.m. on March 7, 2026.

Records in the initial HCSO report list Ratliff as a white male born February 16, 1945; that birthdate corresponds to age 81 in 2026. Media accounts differ on his age, with the Tampa Free Press calling him 79 and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, cited by Boca Post, listing him as 81. Height is also inconsistently reported: Tampa Free Press and the HCSO fragment describe him as about 6 feet tall, while FDLE’s alert lists him at 6 feet 1 inch. All sources agree on a weight of 150 pounds, gray hair and hazel eyes.

Family members told deputies Ratliff is showing cognitive impairment. The initial HCSO text available in reporting included the fragment, “He is showing signs of early-onset dementia, according to the HCSO medi,” and Tampa Free Press reported family members informed deputies Ratliff “is currently showing signs of early-onset dementia.” Tampa Free Press also reported he was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and black-and-gray pants.

Hernando County classified Ratliff as a missing endangered adult when the Local Silver Alert was issued. Boca Post carried an FDLE notice stating, “A Florida Silver Alert has been issued for an 81-year-old man reported missing from Spring Hill in Hernando County, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.” Boca Post later posted an update reading, “UPDATE: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has canceled this Silver Alert. You can view the FDLE cancellation notice here.” Available excerpts do not include FDLE’s cancellation rationale or timestamps; HCSO’s full media release has not been published in the excerpts reviewed.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to report it to local law enforcement. “If you have seen Richard Ratliff or know his current whereabouts, please call the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office at 352-754-6830 or your local law enforcement agency,” the Tampa Free Press quoted the HCSO. Boca Post’s account adds that anyone with information may also call 911.

The sequence of the statewide alert issuance and the FDLE cancellation remains unclear in publicly available excerpts; FDLE’s original alert and any cancellation notice would clarify whether Ratliff has been located or whether the alert was withdrawn for another reason. For now, HCSO’s missing-endangered-adult classification and the vehicle description, last-seen time of about 1:51 p.m., and the 4:00 p.m. Cortez-Mariner sighting are the central details in the ongoing inquiry.