HERNANO COUNTY, FLORIDA: Albert Allen and Cynthia, a Florida couple who had been married for 57 years, were found dead after going missing shortly before Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida.
The couple had faced many challenges in their lives. “Albert was deaf and had dementia while Cynthia was partially paralyzed,” the sheriff's office said in a press release shared on Facebook.
Where were Albert Allen and Cynthia found?
Hernando County Sheriff's office located the couple in their green 2005 Saturn Relay minivan off Powell Road in Brooksville soon after a silver alert issued for Albert and Cynthia was canceled on Thursday, August 31.
Their family reported them missing when they noticed that their car was missing from their house on Star Road in Brooksville.
"Their car was missing from their house on Star Road in Brooksville,” according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Even though the couple depended on their medications, they had left their home without them on Tuesday, August 29, just before Hurricane Idalia hit.
Were Albert Allen and Cynthia involved in a car crash?
Their vehicle had crashed into a tree in a wooded area and both Albert and Cynthia were found dead inside, the HSCO said, sharing photos of the area, the Miami Herald reported.
Photos showed how the heavily damaged van had crashed into a densely wooded area, and was not really visible from the road.
Albert Allen was reportedly driving east on Powell Road near Lacoste Street when he apparently lost control of the vehicle “for unknown reason,” the Florida Highway Patrol said in an accident report.
The couple had reportedly been married for 57 years before their tragic end and Albert had also recently celebrated his birthday on August 23.
“Albert’s phone pinged within a three-mile radius of Hernando Oaks, off US 41 in Brooksville,” but the signal was lost due to the storm, HSCO said.
The police had been joined in their search for the elderly couple by a search group called 'We Are the Essentials'. Nico Tusconi, co-founder of the search organization, said, "Hopefully we gave the family some peace. There won’t be closure, there never is, and this one hurts twice as bad because we have two victims."
Powell Road is about six miles south of the Allen’s home. The Florida Highway Patrol is now investigating the cause of the accident.
Couple's granddaughter say they were loved by family and friends
The couple’s granddaughter, Lida-Louise Hayes, told WFLA they were very loved by their family and friends.
“Their stories started together and ended together. As much pain as our family is going through, that’s the only thing we can find solace in that they went together," she said.
