by yola » Fri May 15, 2009 11:46 am
First sighting of missing granny
By Alexia Saoulli
AN 86-YEAR-OLD woman who has been missing for nine days after she walked out of her Nicosia old-age home was sighted trying to make her way to Larnaca a day after she disappeared.
According to police investigators Lydia Gulesserian was seen getting out of a man’s car near the University of Cyprus’ campus a day or two after she went missing on May 6. She then spoke to a National Guardsman and told him she was trying to get to Larnaca which was where she was from.
“The solider identified her from a photograph and she spoke to him in broken Greek and some English. It was her,” said an officer, who wished to remain unnamed.
Another two sightings placed the pensioner walking in the same area, he said.
“On the first day she was spotted near Thermopilou Street and then a few days later she was spotted near the UCY campus,” he said.
“We only received the information on Tuesday night and yesterday an extensive search was carried out starting from the UCY campus right up until Yeri. We also contacted the UN to search the buffer zone. Unfortunately she was not found,” he added.
The officer said Rapid Reaction Unit (MMAD) police and sniffer dogs had been used in Wednesday’s search.
Although police have expressed hope that the elderly woman has found food and shelter somewhere and would be found alive, investigators are growing increasingly worried about her safety.
Unconfirmed reports also place the 86-year-old in Larnaca near the Kamares Aqueduct area. She was said to be wearing a black sweater.
Gulesserian’s three daughters believe their mother was wearing a black skirt, light coloured shirt and a black sweater on the day she went missing from the Kaladjian old people’s home in Strovolos.
The 86-year-old walked out of the old age home at 9am on May 6. Her daughters were notified of her disappearance three hours later. The pensioner had only just returned from the United States with two of her daughters where she had spent the last six months with them. The women had accompanied their mother to settle her into the old age home before returning home. According to her daughter, Arda Gulesserian, the 86-year-old had not been unhappy in her new surroundings and had appeared to settle in well. She also said her mother did not suffer from dementia and only became disorientated on occasion because she had water in her brain.
Anyone with any information regarding Gulesserian’s whereabouts should please contact the nearest police station or call her daughter Arda on 99047800.