Silver Alert issued, canceled for Kenly man

The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons on Friday canceled a Silver Alert for a man a few hours after they issued it on behalf of Kenly police.

Authorities said they found out that Edward Thomas Freeman, 81, of Kenly, was in a hospital, but his family had not been told.

They did not disclose details of how or why he was hospitalized.

Developed in 2007, the Silver Alert system notifies the public about missing endangered adults who suffer from dementia or other cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease.

It allows caregivers and nursing homes to report a person missing. In the past, only a family member could report an adult missing.