Joseph Lingappa was last seen outside the Main & Marine Medical Centre on Dec. 29, and the 75-year-old’s family is growing more and more desperate to find him.
VANCOUVER – The family of a South Asian senior from Vancouver who went missing nearly two weeks ago made an emotional plea Wednesday for tips about his whereabouts.
Joseph Lingappa was last seen outside the Main & Marine Medical Centre on Dec. 29, and the 75-year-old’s family is growing more and more desperate to find him.
“He just disappeared,” nephew Roy Nair said. “We’re just hoping for the best right now. We know he could be anywhere, we just want him home. We can’t rest until he’s home.”
Joseph Lingappa, 75, is seen in this undated handout photo. He is described as 5’10” tall with a slim build, dark hair and a dark complexion, reported CTV news.
Supporters gathered outside the clinic on Wednesday, where Lingappa’s sister held his photo and sobbed as family members taped posters on power poles and bus stops.
They said before Lingappa’s disappearance, he was in high spirits about beating cancer. They described him as a friendly, trusting soul.
“He’s a wonderful man,” Nair said. “He’s a family guy, a loving uncle. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body.”
Lingappa is described as 5’10” tall with a slim build, dark hair and a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing black Nike runners and a green bomber jacket with a fur hood and orange lining.
His family has also put up posters around Lingappa’s home near Granville Street and 70th Avenue in the Marpole beighbourhood. He also may have made his way to North Surrey, where there was an unconfirmed sighting on New Year’s Day.
Police said there’s no indication Lingappa has fallen prey to foul play, and ask anyone who sees him to call 911 immediately and stay with him until officers arrive.
Police believe that Lingappa may have been seen in the North Surrey area on January 1st.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of either of these men is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.
