David Moore: British tourist with Alzheimer's goes missing in Barcelona - friends searching “non-stop”

A frantic search for a missing British tourist who has Alzheimer’s has been sparked in Barcelona after he walked out of the hotel he was staying in and hasn’t returned. David Moore, 65, was on holiday was his wife Christine, 60, and two friends, Donna McCarron-Flynn, 55, and Mark Flynn, 56, when he walked out of bed and out of the hotel at 4.30am on Sunday, April 7.

According to friends of the couple, the Barcelona trip was due to be David and Christine’s “last holiday” together following his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2023, the same year his son passed away. The group travelled to Barcelona on April 2, with Donna and Mark joining to help with David’s care. Wife Christine phoned the pair at around 7.15am on April 7 when she woke up to find her husband missing and the hotel room door lying open.

Friends have been searching “non-stop” for the Edinburgh-native, who has been described as severely disabled by those who know him. Donna, a church pastor, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said: "My husband ran out of the hotel looking for him and was searching for a couple of hours. We have checked the hospital - we are hoping that he has been taken to hospital.

"We're close to the marina and he walked off in that direction. We have trailed the streets and door ways, we have handed out leaflets and walked along the beach talking to everyone.

"We have printed out hundreds of A4 flyers and posted them on lampposts and given them to taxi drivers. Christine is crushed, she is absolutely terrified, she is numb and unable to process anything at the minute."

Hotel staff reported that they spotted him walking towards the harbour. Friends and family in the UK have been attempting to contact local cab firms to track him down, while Donna and Mark are meeting with police and the consulate today. Flyers have also been handed out around the city and been stuck on lampposts.

He was last seen wearing a thin navy zip up jacket, jeans and grey trousers. Donna added: "David was unhappy and confused. He kept saying he wanted to get the bus home.

"He seems obsessed with getting the bus and forgetting he was in a different country. He is 6ft 2inch, he shuffles his feet as he walks and hunches his shoulders. He uses his hands to hold onto buildings as he walks along the street. When he walks David will sway a lot as he loses his balance - he walks like he is drunk."