The ongoing search for a Charleston man who has been missing in Mexico for more than a week has turned to remote areas of Cozumel, his family noted on social media.
Edmond Bradley "Brad" Solomon III, a 66-year-old West Ashley native, was last seen April 3 after disembarking from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in port at the island. A frantic search started almost immediately and now has stretched to a 10th day.
"The local military and civilian search and rescue leaders are focusing efforts in the jungle now," his daughter Savannah Miller, 29, posted to Facebook on April 11. "Since he hasn’t been seen on camera since Wednesday afternoon (April 3), it’s possible that he is being cared for by local, more-rural Cozumel citizen in ejido (farming) areas of the jungle. I know that not a single person on this island would have mal intent upon approaching him."
In late 2022, doctors diagnosed Solomon with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, Miller told The Post and Courier. The family vacation and cruise was supposed to be the last big vacation for Solomon and his wife, Mimi Hyer Solomon, due to the neurodegenerative disorder.
He is believed to have wandered off in a Cozumel market after he and his wife stopped to use the restroom near the cruise terminal on day 5 of a seven-day cruise.
A "lost" flyer for Edmond Bradley Solomon III of Charleston distributed by Mexican authorities. Solomon has been missing in Cozumel since April 3, 2024.
A cab driver later told police that he gave a ride that day to a man matching Solomon's description, according to Mexican news outlets. The driver allegedly told police that he dropped the man off on a dirt road leading to Isla de la Pasìon, a small island. The man did not have money so he gave his watch as payment, La Jornada Maya reported, quoting what police said the taxi driver told them.
Shortly after Solomon went missing, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State told The Post and Courier that the agency "has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. … When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with families however we can. We are monitoring the situation and seeking additional information, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."
Martha Warren, one of Solomon’s cousins, said in an April 12 Facebook post that more than 100 locals, ex-patriots and vacationers have joined in the search, along with a number of people working solo. Professional teams are also engaged, she said, and the family is not giving up hope even though a promising tip on April 12 didn’t pan out.
“I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of so many of you,” she wrote. “Truly a reminder that on a whole, by far, people are beautiful and loving. Thank you, thank you!”
The previous day, Warren posted that military personnel and search dogs were on their way, and teams were concentrating on parks and other open areas where Solomon might be resting, along with area with ferries and other boats.
On April 10, a week after Solomon had last been seen, his wife posted to Facebook for the first time in years.
Edmond Bradley Solomon III is a longtime fisher, boater and surfer. The 66-year-old West Ashley native, who has dementia, wandered off in a market in Cozumel, Mexico, April 3.
"I haven’t been able to bring myself to look at FB or message many friends since Brad went missing," Mimi Hyer Solomon wrote. "While I am still in a state of shock, anguish, and immense heartache, I have had my own 2 feet on the ground covering this city looking for the love of my life. I won’t leave this island without him.
"The outpouring of love, support and prayers has not gone unnoticed, and I am immensely thankful to all of my friends, family, strangers, and the community of the Cozumel. It has been one week today that Brad walked out of the terminal, and I am asking for everyone to take a moment at 3 p.m. today, when he left my side, of silence and prayer that God's grace will shine upon Brad and bring him home."
A Cozumel thread on the Reddit social media platform includes dozens of prayers offered to the family along with messages from island locals participating in the search. Posters have announced meet-up times for people wanting to help look for Solomon and passed along messages from his family. One contributor noted that police had been playing a recording of Solomon’s wife over loud speakers in various areas as they search.
“We just drove the island today and kept him in mind,” one poster commented April 11. “Like where is he? So horrific."
“I've driven much of what you have,” another replied. “I've checked all ports and piers. They are now focusing on farther out of town. … I sense people are giving up hope. Don't!”
Savannah Miller said that anyone who spots Solomon should trail him from afar, then call the bilingual operators at +52 987-262-8178. The day Solomon disappeared, security footage spotted him wearing a white linen button-down shirt, gray shorts, black-and-white sneakers and a hat of some kind.
While wishing she could have spent more time with her father while younger, doing things like skipping rocks with him during their summer camping trips in Pisgah, N.C., with St. Andrew’s Mount Pleasant church, she noted that she was not giving up hope.
"When I was younger, I had such intense anxiety that I would lose him in a tragic car or boating accident. Any time he would come late from work, I assumed he was gone forever," Miller wrote to conclude her post. "But right now, in my heart, I can feel that he is healthy and okay and that I will see him again very soon."
Jason Cato, Glenn Smith, Alan Hovorka, Eva Herscowitz and Valerie Nava contributed reporting.