Gold-medalist Jeangerard identified
SAN CARLOS, Calif. -- San Carlos police said a 75-year-old member of the 1956 Olympic champion U.S. basketball team was found after he wandered from his home and was missing for four days.
Police say Robert Jeangerard, who has Alzheimer's disease, left his San Carlos home Monday night. He was found 35 miles away in Oakland, but was not identified until Friday.
Oakland police discovered Jeangerard -- who had no money or ID, and only knows his name as "Robert" or "Bob" -- in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant.
Police took him to an Oakland hospital but he was unable to fully identify himself. A nurse at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center who had seen news reports figured out the man was Jeangerard.
Jeangerard's son, also named Bob, told a reporter from the Bay Area News group that his father was dehydrated but in good condition.
"Just like good old dad," he told the reporter. "He was charming the nurses in the background when I was listening to him [on the phone]."
Jeangerard was the second-leading scorer on the Melbourne Games gold-medal team led by Bill Russell and K.C. Jones that outscored opponents by an average of 53.5 points per game. Jeangerard led the team with 16 points in an 89-55 win over the Soviet Union for the gold medal.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
