An elderly couple, Colin and Claudette Geraghty, aged 89 and 83 respectively, have gone on the run from a retirement village in Melbourne, Australia, for the second time. The couple fled the Ryman Nellie Melba Retirement Village on a Saturday, just four days after moving in. They drove approximately 200 kilometers across the state before their family located them 32 hours later in Maryborough.
The Geraghtys are currently staying in a motel and have refused to return to the care facility. Their daughter, Linda McKelvie, stated that her father, Colin, does not want to be without his wife, describing their situation as a "great love story." She also noted that her father, who has Alzheimer's, is a clever problem-solver with a background in investigating aircraft crashes and service in the air force.
This is not the first time the couple, who have been together for 65 years, have left an aged care facility. Ms. McKelvie mentioned an earlier "prison break" that occurred not long ago. The couple was transferred to the current facility after medical practitioners determined that Claudette required round-the-clock care. While staff at the Ryman Nellie Melba Retirement Village attempted to keep them together by placing them in adjoining rooms and wheeling Colin's bed into his wife's room, Colin, who still drives, was reportedly unhappy with the arrangement.
Before their departure, the Geraghtys visited a shopping center, purchased their daily medication, and went to a cafe. They were last seen leaving the shopping center around midday in their white 2015 Mazda 2. Their neighbor raised the alarm when she checked on them later that afternoon and received no answer. The facility had previously alerted police after an unsuccessful attempt by the couple to leave earlier in the week.
Ms. McKelvie expressed concern for her parents' safety, particularly given her mother's history of seizures and vascular dementia. She communicated her worry to her parents via text message, pleading for them to come home. Despite the family's concerns, Ms. McKelvie acknowledged her father's desire to care for his wife and expressed a wish to find a solution that would allow them to stay together outside of the care facility.