Contagious Patient Located
Lancashire Police Locate Dean Hesketh, Contagious Patient Missing From Royal Preston Hospital
Anonymous
Key Points
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There is a timeline discrepancy regarding the last sighting: one report places it at 11:16 a.m. on July 28, while other coverage describes the sighting as occurring 'just after 11:00 BST' that day.
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LancsLive’s report adds clothing details not in the summary: Hesketh was described as wearing a khaki green and black jacket, black trainers and a Lyle and Scott jumper at the time.
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A police log entry cited is log 1051 of 28 July, which the public is asked to quote when providing sightings to investigators.
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Police later stated he had been found four days after his disappearance, a development not reflected in the initial search narrative.
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Mask color is inconsistently reported: one report notes a blue surgical mask, while another simply states 'a surgical mask' without color details.
Lancashire Police have found Dean Hesketh, a 51-year-old man who vanished from Royal Preston Hospital on July 28 while possibly carrying a contagious illness. He was located four days after his disappearance, according to Yahoo News.
Hesketh's case drew urgent public warnings from police, who told anyone who spotted him to call 999 immediately and not to approach him. The search prompted a wave of coverage across multiple outlets before his safe recovery was confirmed.
Man Disappeared From Royal Preston Hospital on July 28
Hesketh was last seen leaving Royal Preston Hospital just after 11:00 a.m. BST on July 28, according to BBC. One report placed the exact time at 11:16 a.m. He was wearing a surgical mask, a khaki green and black jacket, a Lyle and Scott jumper, and black trainers, according to AOL.
Police described Hesketh as 5ft 4in tall, with black hair and blue eyes. He also goes by the names Tim, Dean, or Anthony Gledhill. Authorities released CCTV footage to help the public identify him. He has known links to Preston, Penwortham, and Blackpool.
Contagious Condition Warning Alarmed the Public
Police warned that Hesketh may have had a contagious health condition at the time of his disappearance. They did not name the condition. Because of that risk, authorities told the public not to approach him under any circumstances, according to Yahoo News.
The warning was unusual and added urgency to the search. Anyone who spotted Hesketh was told to call 999 right away. People with general information were asked to call 101 and quote police log 1051 of July 28 when doing so.
Hesketh Found Safe Four Days After Going Missing
Police confirmed Hesketh had been found approximately four days after he left the hospital, according to Yahoo News. The announcement ended a search that had drawn widespread media attention across the UK and beyond.
No further details about the circumstances of his recovery were made public. The case had been under active review by Lancashire Police throughout the search period.
Search Highlights Hospital Patient Missing-Person Challenges
The case drew attention to how quickly a vulnerable hospital patient can disappear and how hard it can be to find them safely. Hesketh's use of multiple names — Tim, Dean, and Anthony Gledhill — complicated identification efforts, according to AOL.
CCTV footage from the hospital was released as a key part of the investigation. Lancashire Police's public appeal spread rapidly online, with outlets in Singapore, Australia, Canada, and the UK all picking up the story within hours of the initial missing-person report.
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