A long night ends in relief for Lehigh Acres family after missing man found safe

LEE COUNTY, Fla. - For Joceli Coutinho’s family, the moment they learned he had been found brought an emotional release after nearly 24 hours of fear and uncertainty.

Coutinho, 78, was located Thursday morning following an extensive overnight search in Lehigh Acres and the Buckingham area. Family members say the hours leading up to that moment were among the hardest they have ever experienced.

“It was incredible,” Coutinho’s grandson, Thomas Mafra, said. “Everyone was crying, just happy to know that he was alive and safe.”

Mafra told WINK News the family spent the night worried not only about where Coutinho was, but whether he would survive the cold temperatures. Coutinho has Parkinson’s disease and dementia and had been without his medication for hours while missing.

“Our biggest worry was the cold,” Mafra said. “He only had a jacket and pajama pants.”

When deputies finally made contact with Coutinho Thursday morning, the relief was immediate. Family members say phone calls were filled with tears, shouting, and disbelief that the search had ended safely.

“When my wife called me and said they found him, she was crying and screaming,” Dave Mafra, Coutinho’s son-in-law, said. “We found him alive… that’s the most important thing.”

Coutinho was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, where family members say he is recovering. Relatives also confirmed that Coutinho’s wife was taken to the hospital after becoming overwhelmed by the stress of the search. They say the two are now together and focused on recovery.

Looking ahead, the family says they are already thinking about what comes next, including additional safety measures to prevent something like this from happening again.

Mafra said the experience has changed how the family thinks about caring for loved ones with cognitive conditions.

“We wish we had done some things differently,” he said, adding that the family plans to use tracking devices and additional supervision moving forward.

Above all, the family says they are grateful to law enforcement, first responders, volunteers, and neighbors who called in tips and showed up to help search.

“For a while, it felt like the entire community was looking for him,” Mafra said. “We couldn’t have done this without them.”