The search continues for a Pitt County man who suffers from dementia. Earl Kirby, 76 years old, was last seen leaving Harker's Island around Wednesday afternoon in his sports utility vehicle. Kirby's son says his dad isn't supposed to drive because of his dementia, and lawmen say he got lost several times on the way out to Harker's Island. By definition, dementia is the deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment. It results from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain.
Experts estimate that the frequency of dementia doubles every five years after 60 years of age.
