A member of the public has helped police to track down a missing 74-year-old man.

The Hamersley man’s family was worried he would become confused and lost when he left his home on Sunday afternoon.

The man lives with a cognitive impairment.

An emergency text message was sent to those living in the area.

Police spokesperson Sam Dinnison says a woman who received the text found the man and stayed with him until officers arrived.

“When we do send out those messages, we ask the public to read them, see if it relates to their area and if they have any information for us because it is a legitimate message and if in doubt, ring 131 444 and double check if you believe you have information that relates to the missing person.”