Robert Welch, 64, was reported missing from his rural property south of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, on June 29, 2023. He lives with dementia and was last seen near his home on land bordered by large cornfields and close to the Arkansas River, terrain that complicated search efforts.

Local authorities and volunteers mounted an extensive response. The Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office and Quapaw Nation Emergency Management deployed K9 teams, while neighbors, friends and volunteers searched on foot. Crop dusters flew low over the corn, drones and sonar were used to scan the river, and a Silver Alert was issued by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Thick corn and limitations of thermal imaging were cited as obstacles to locating him.

Searches continued into the following weeks and authorities asked the public for any information that could help. If anyone saw Robert Welch near Webbers Falls around June 29, 2023, or has information about his whereabouts, please come forward.