Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (File) LAKELAND, Fla. - Tragedy struck a Lakeland family already coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. 83-
LAKELAND, Fla. – Tragedy struck a Lakeland family already coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. 83-year-old Marco Grillo, who suffered from late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, was found dead Friday morning after wandering away from his flooded home.
Grillo and his wife, Suzanne, had been sleeping in their van parked near their Alderman Road residence due to flooding caused by the hurricane. Sadly, sometime during the night, Mr. Grillo wandered off.
After a search involving the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit and deputies on an airboat, Grillo’s body was discovered in floodwaters behind his home.
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“Despite Mr. Grillo being found in his backyard, the area was so flooded that our Aviation Unit had to direct deputies on an airboat to him. Our prayers are with his family,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Grillo’s death is underway, and an autopsy is pending.
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