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Tampa man grateful wife, 80, found alive

Staff photo by PAUL LAMISON

Dennis Thompson has been married to Lola Thompson for 46 years. She wandered away from their apartment at Timberfalls 11320 Winter Court Apt. B on Monday.

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TBO.com

Published: September 22, 2009

Updated: 09/22/2009 04:29 pm

Lola Thompson

Lola Thompson's husband, Dennis, has no words to describe his feelings now that his wife of 46 years has been found alive and well.

His wife vanished from the Timberfalls Apartments in Tampa around 4 p.m. Monday.

He said he was in the laundry room when his wife walked away and simply disappeared.

Authorities spent hours trying to find her. They even traced her outside the apartment complex.

"Last night with the help of the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office, canine, air service and all of the patrol in that area we searched very diligently for her with no luck, the blood hound did lose scent of her in north Tampa," said Tampa Police spokeswoman Andrea Davis.

This afternoon, an apartment manager and her fiancé took did a little investigation of their own.

Derrick Cox said he knew to look near the couple's residence.

He found the woman inside a vacant apartment right next door to where she lives.

"I twisted the knob and it was open, I pushed it open and I saw her sitting down in the hallway," said Cox.

Her husband said he's thankful somebody forgot to lock that door.

Cox said he's glad he and his fiancé followed their instincts.

Meanwhile Lola Thompson is in hospital where she is being treated for dehydration.

Her husband said he plans on placing her in an assisted living facility.

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