Search intensifies for missing Harnett County man

The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued a Silver Alert for Lloyd Hall on Tuesday. Hall was last seen near the woods behind a home at 196 Live Oak Road in Coats.

He was wearing dark blue pants and black dress shoes and is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall with short gray hair and gray eyes. Investigators said Hall wears hearing aids, walks with a cane and has trouble seeing.

Investigators have focused their search around Hall's truck, which was found about 200 yards from his home. Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said authorities believe he drove it there and headed into the woods.

"It's been described as a jungle. We literally had almost arm-to-arm, 50 some searchers going through the area yesterday with machetes, cutting their way along," Rollins said. "And we're trying to cover every bit of ground there."

North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopters have also been assisting in the search.

Hall's great-granddaughter, Ashlyn West, said the family has been struggling since his disappearance.

"This is just so hard. It's been so long, so many hours," she said.

West said family members are preparing for the possibility that Hall may not be found alive.

"He loved this land. He is just right where he wanted to be, and we know he's with the Lord," she said. "And this is where he needs to be if this is where he's at."

Hall is believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

Anybody with information about the whereabouts of Hall should call Sgt. David Miller at the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office at 910-893-9111.