Missing Parrish man, 76, found dead in water near Palmetto, sheriff’s office says
A 76-year-old Parrish man was found dead in Palmetto one day after he was reported missing, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies had said Sunday evening that Donald Arendt had not been seen since about 11:30 a.m. that morning and that he was last seen riding an electric bike in a Parrish neighborhood. Less than 24 hours later, a boater spotted his body floating in the water near Emerson Point.
“It’s not (known) at this time how he ended up in the water or what caused his death. Prayers for his family and friends,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a tweet Monday morning.
According to the sheriff’s office, Arendt had Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that leads to cognitive decline and memory loss.
Randy Warren, the sheriff’s office public information officer, told the Bradenton Herald there was a “community effort” to locate Arendt until about midnight Sunday. Several residents called to report sightings of Arendt throughout the day, he said.
“We had a pretty good idea he was in Snead Island. We searched with dogs and aerial support, but we couldn’t locate him,” Warren said, noting that the Palmetto Police Department and Manatee County Search & Rescue also participated in the search.
An investigation remains underway and the medical examiner will make a determination on Arendt’s cause of death at a later date.
This story was originally published August 8, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
