Update, Oct. 25: Vancouver Police say Toby Lansel has been found and returned to the hospital. Thank you to everyone who shared the appeal.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Vancouver Police asked the public to be on the lookout for Toby Lansel, an 85-year-old man who needed medical attention after walking away from Vancouver General Hospital on Friday evening, October 23, 2026.
Mr. Lansel was last seen at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, leaving the hospital after being treated for injuries sustained in a fall. He also suffers from dementia and may appear confused, police said.
What he looks like
Mr. Lansel is white, six feet tall and 154 pounds, with grey hair and a full beard. He was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, a blue jacket, light-coloured pants and black shoes, and he had bandages on his head.
Vancouver General Hospital is in the Fairview neighbourhood, near West 12th Avenue and Oak Street. Police had asked everyone in the area, and anyone travelling through it, to watch for a man matching his description, particularly the bandages on his head.
Source: Vancouver Police Department news release, October 24, 2026
