ORANGE — The 21-year-old Orange man who went missing Tuesday morning was reunited with his family Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities launched a search for Gabe Kakitis when his brother and mother reported him missing after he left on foot from his house in the North Main Street area near Dexter Street.
The Orange Police Department posted on its Facebook page around 3 p.m. Wednesday to inform the public that Kakitis was with officers and waiting to be picked up by his family. The post also thanked people for their concern and offers to help in the search, with a “#smalltownbigheart” hashtag added.
Orange Police Chief James Sullivan said Kakitis was found safe walking through the center of town after his department got bombarded with calls from people reporting seeing him. Sullivan said Kakitis “seemed to be OK” but was taken by the Orange Fire Department to Athol Hospital as a precaution. He described locating Kakitis as a “huge sigh of relief.”
Kakitis was initially reported as being autistic and non-verbal, though Orange Police now say on Facebook that he is “much higher functioning than we originally thought and has chosen to be out of touch for a while.” However, authorities still wanted to check on his welfare.
A command post was set up Wednesday at the Orange Fire Department at 18 Water St., Sullivan said the Salvation Army fed emergency workers throughout the day; private citizens and the local Hannaford supermarket provided some food and coffee. Various police and fire departments assisted in the search, which until Wednesday afternoon, was focused in nearby woods.
The Orange Police Department’s Facebook page first posted about Kakitis on Tuesday morning. Local firefighters were searching the woods around 5 p.m. Tuesday, and a command center for searchers was opened in the Dexter Park Innovation School cafeteria. Authorities brought in two German Shepherds and a Bloodhound to help with tracking.
According to the department’s Facebook page, safety issues forced the suspension of the ground search Tuesday night, though officers followed up on leads. Searchers returned to the woods Wednesday morning.
The Facebook page reported the police department brought Officer Clay Rushford out of retirement because he teaches classes on search and rescue. However, by Wednesday afternoon the department posted to Facebook that there was no longer any reason to believe Kakitis was in the woods. Authorities used manpower, search dogs, drones from the Northampton Police Department, a State Police helicopter and all-terrain vehicles in their efforts.
While Kakitis was missing, residents were asked to check their accessible garages and outbuildings, and to review footage from any security cameras they have.
The Facebook posts related to Kakitis were flooded with comments from people offering prayers and sympathy. The final post, announcing that Kakitis had been found, was met with comments expressing relief and thanking the police for their work.
“Our community is absolutely amazing,” Rachael Rhodes wrote. “Thank you all, along with the relentless efforts of our officers to bring my brother home and safe.”
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.