Police search (illustrative)
Police search (illustrative)Israel news photo: Flash 90

An elderly man from central Israel who went missing Wednesday was found Thursday, having spent the night outside.

78-year-old Shmuel Perachia was found by police volunteers. He was taken to hospital in moderate-to-serious condition.

Due to the cold weather, the man could have lost his life had volunteers not found him. Wednesday night and Thursday morning were particularly cold, with sub-freezing weather in much of the country.

Perachia left his home at a retirement center in Ramat Gan at 7 p.m. Wednesday. He later called his wife and daughter several times and told them he had fallen down and was stuck in a bush.

He was disoriented, and was unable to explain where he was. Police immediately launched a search, and spent the night and morning looking for him with help from volunteers.

He was finally found near the Drive In theater in Tel Aviv.