A desperate search remains underway for an elderly man suffering from dementia who disappeared from a Sydney nursing home three weeks ago. Fresh sightings have spurred on police efforts in locating Ivan Jakus, 75, who was a resident at an aged care facility in Casula when he vanished about 5:30 pm on April 12.
Jakus, who also goes by the name John, was last seen at a club on Cowpasture Road in Leppington, with searches from police rescue, the State Emergency Service, the Rural Fire Service and volunteers unable to locate him.
In the weeks that followed, several unconfirmed sightings of Jakus have been shared with police to no avail. However, about 11:30 am on Saturday, police received dashcam footage showing an elderly man struggling on the median strip of Elizabeth Drive, approximately 750 metres southeast of the M7 Motorway in Cecil Hills.
“Police attended the scene and were unable to locate the man; however, investigators believe it may have been Ivan,” police said. “Police and family have serious concerns for Ivan’s welfare as he lives with dementia, requires regular medication and has been missing for several weeks.”
Ivan Jakus, 75, was a resident at an aged care facility in Casula when he disappeared in April. A concerned motorist shared the footage with police.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165 centimetres tall, of medium build, with short grey hair. Ivan was last seen wearing a white Adidas t-shirt, dark navy shorts, white socks and dark coloured shoes.
He is still believed to be travelling on foot around the Leppington and nearby areas, however, police said he is “extremely mobile” and may have travelled further. Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact police.
