News
Family of missing Oldham man pay tribute to ‘lovely’ world-travelling ex veteran
79-year-old David Hazeltine was described as "lovely by all that met him".
Emily Sergeant -
12th July 2023 
The family of an elderly man from Oldham who went missing at the start of this month have paid tribute to him after his body was found.
David Hazeltine was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as missing on Monday 3 July.
Several public appeals to find the 79-year-old were issued and circulated online by local Oldham residents and beyond after police expressed concern for his whereabouts, given the fact he had Alzheimer’s and may have been missing without his medication.
Mr Hazeltine was later caught on CCTV walking along Manchester Street in Oldham in the direction of the town centre at around 10:26am on the same day he went missing.
GMP shared the CCTV images with the public in the hopes of finding him.
But despite the numerous appeals being shared far and wide, and searches continuing for several days, a GMP spokesperson later confirmed that a body had been found.
“At around 11.15am on Friday 7 July 2023, officers were called to a concern for welfare of a male on a path near Westwood, Oldham,” a GMP spokesperson revealed in a statement, “Officers and emergency services attended.
“Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the male was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.
“There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.”
After the body was confirmed to be that of Mr Hazeltine, the family of the “lovely” world-travelling ex veteran have paid tribute to him.
The family’s tribute, as shared by GMP, reads: “We would like to thank family, friends and the wider public who helped via social media to spread the word when my Dad went missing.
“As an ex-Royal Marine veteran, Dad was a very proud and independent man despite his worsening Alzheimer’s. A man who had travelled the world in his career, he loved to spend his later years growing and sharing his fruit and veg from his allotment.
“He is described as a lovely man by all who met him and he will be sadly missed by his family.
“Our family are devastated by our loss.”
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GMP says that Mr Hazeltine’s family have asked for privacy at this time while they grieve for their loss.
Featured Image – GMP
