A missing man with dementia was found safe in Elsa after a Silver Alert and a community-wide search, according to local authorities.

Lauro Treviño Ochoa was last seen at around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday. His family, local law enforcement, and community members spent hours searching for him before he was found in a field near Yucca Drive and Begonia Street, about half a mile from his home.

His daughter, Elvira Fuentes, said she got the call from her mother that morning and immediately sprang into action.

"To me, it was a couple of hours that felt like eternity. The fear, the uncertainty, the helplessness were indescribable," Fuentes said.

Fuentes and her husband began searching right away. She said her father has dementia and heart problems, so they knew time was critical.

"We retraced the little areas that he can walk to because he has heart failure too, so he can't really walk much; he gets exhausted in a short distance of walking," Fuentes said.

The family searched local parks and streets where he would ride his bike.

Elsa and Edcouch police and fire crews, along with the constable's office and city parks employees, joined the search effort.

Elsa Police Chief Robert McGinnis said the team moved quickly to spread the word.

"It's the difference between life and death," McGinnis said. “We tried to get it out as quickly as possible on social media to try to get his picture out there so we could have as many people looking for him as possible.”

Shortly before noon, Edcouch fire crews found Treviño in the field suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Fuentes said she does not want another family to go through what hers did.

"If you have a loved one or family member living with dementia, please take care, take extra precautions, and remain vigilant," Fuentes said. “Make sure they are safe, supervised, and that you have a plan in place in case they wander off. You never think it will happen to you until it does.”

The Alzheimer's Association says 6 in 10 people living with dementia will wander away from home at least once.

Experts recommend families always supervise someone with dementia, especially if they are in new surroundings. They also suggest adding safety measures to the home, including locks, nightlights, and bells on doors and fences. Families should also keep a recent photo on hand in case someone goes missing.

Treviño is recovering in a local hospital, and his family says he is doing well.