Family searches for Bronx man who got lost on the subway

The family of 63-year-old David Thompson says he was on his way back to East 138th Street when he told them he was not sure where he was and needed help.

Greg Thompson

Aug 12, 2025, 9:15 PM

Updated 4 hr ago

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A family has spent over 48 hours traveling around the city, searching for a Bronx man who apparently got lost trying to take the 6 train home late Saturday night.
"We have the time, we have the energy, we're just trying to keep the hope up," his sister, Patricia Thompson, said. "We're dividing and conquering, so there's no place we're not willing to go."
The family of 63-year-old David Thompson says he was on his way back to East 138th Street when he told them he was not sure where he was and needed help.
His wife sent a car for him on Saturday, but on Sunday morning, they talked to him again, and he said he was still lost.
"I'm screaming, I'm panicking, like, 'What do you mean he's not home yet?'" Patricia remembered.
That was the last time they said they heard from him, and his phone has now died.
Since then, the family has been trying to spread information about him online, while also traveling around the city, following any clue.
One possible cellphone ping took them to Rockaway Beach, but that ended up being wrong information, then someone on TikTok said they might have seen him near the Whole Foods in Harlem.
Family members say he had been suffering from memory and balance issues lately and had an appointment scheduled with a neurologist to find out what was wrong.
They believe he may have become disoriented, so right now, Patricia says they are "trying to get into his mind of someone who's not sure what's going on."
Aside from following the tips, they have also been going to anywhere that might be familiar to him, including places where he used to live and work.
"We're hoping that he's looking for solid ground, and he's looking for the things that make him happy, the things that he remembers, we're hoping that he's doing normal things in an abnormal way - walking around, getting things to eat," said his sister, Patricia Thompson." I don't want to think about him not having shelter, especially on a hot day like this, but it's been hard, especially the last couple of days."
The family says the flyers, which include the phone number of another one of his sisters, are for Thompson to see as much as anyone else - so that if he sees one, he can show it and the number to another person on the street, and they can help get him help.
They say they will be out on Fordham Road on Wednesday, following the latest tip of someone matching his description.
"We're trying to be hopeful, we're a family of faith, and we're just asking for help and that encouragement to keep going, because he's worth it. it's hard, but he's worth it," Thompson said.
Anybody who thinks they might have seen Thompson is asked to call his sister Melissa at 917-499-9671 or the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).