Savannah resident found unharmed after TBI Silver Alert

A Savannah man who was the subject of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Silver Alert was found safe and sound Thursday morning, authorities said.
Charlie Wilkerson Jr., 84, was discovered around 10 a.m. in a ravine off Pickwick Street near Cherry Street near an automated ice pack vending machine, Savannah Police Chief Michael Pitts said.
According to the TBI’s Silver Alert, neighbors reported Wilkerson missing. The report was posted on social media around midnight.
Pitts said Wilkerson was first reported missing around 8 p.m. and police followed state protocol for the Silver Alert to be triggered.
The warning states that Wilkerson suffers from a medical condition that may have affected his ability to return safely without assistance.
“He rides his bike everywhere,” Pitts said.
Police learned that a shoe believed to belong to Wilkerson had been found near the ice cream machine, and local emergency responders immediately took action.
After a brief initial search, a sniffer dog from the Hardin County Fire Department was called in.
Pitts said, “The dog led us down into the ravine in about five minutes, and we found him there.”
Wilkerson suffered some “minor abrasions and bruises” and was taken to Hardin Medical Center for evaluation because there were concerns he was dehydrated, he said.
Nothing suspicious was believed to have happened, the police chief said, adding that he was grateful for the numerous offers from residents to help with the search, as well as for the support of the district fire department.