Lakeland Man with Alzheimer's Found Dead After Hurricane Milton Flooding

Photo from Polk County Sheriff Office postPhoto byPolk County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page

Polk County Sheriff’s deputies discovered the body of 83-year-old Marco Grillo, a Lakeland resident with late-stage Alzheimer’s, on Friday morning, October 11, 2024, after he went missing the previous night, according to information shared on the department's Facebook and X page. Grillo, who also had a heart condition and circulation issues, had been staying in a van with his wife, Suzanne, near their flooded Alderman Road neighborhood due to the heavy rains brought by Hurricane Milton.

At approximately 7:31 a.m., the Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) Air Unit located Grillo’s body beneath the floodwaters behind his residence.

“Despite Mr. Grillo being found in his backyard, the area was so flooded that our Aviation Unit had to direct deputies on an airboat to him. Our prayers are with his family," said Grady Judd, Sheriff.

The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy is pending.