Missing South African Helicopter Pilot Slade Thomas Found Safe After Reward Was Offered

Slade Thomas, a retired South African helicopter pilot living with Alzheimer's, disappeared from his Durban home over the weekend His family reported him missing at Greenwood Park Police Station and offered a reward of approximately KSh404,928 for credible information that could help locate him Private investigator Brad Nathanson warned the public that AI-generated images were flooding in from people trying to claim the reward Slade Thomas, a decorated retired helicopter pilot battling Alzheimer's disease, has been found alive and in a stable condition after going missing from his home in Durban over the weekend. Slade Thomas has been found. Photo: Brad Nathanson Investigations. Source: Facebook Private investigator Brad Nathanson confirmed the news on Facebook, stating that Thomas had been located with a neighbourhood watch support team. Medical help and family members were on their way to him at the time of the announcement, and the public was asked to stop searching. Thomas was last seen leaving his residence on Hunters Way in Umgeni Park, close to a local SPAR centre according to a report by Briefly.co.za. His family had filed a missing persons report at Greenwood Park Police Station and enlisted Nathanson's help, while also offering a reward of approximately KSh404,928 for anyone with credible information about his whereabouts. Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;) A Pilot With a Remarkable Career Thomas is no ordinary retiree. During his time with the South African Air Force, including a stint with 15 Squadron, he clocked more than 6,700 flying hours. He later led Starlite Aviation Group in Durban as its chief executive. He is perhaps most celebrated for his role in the 1991 rescue of passengers aboard the MTS Oceanos, a cruise ship that sank near Coffee Bay on the Eastern Cape coast. His bravery during that operation earned him the Air Force Cross. View the Facebook post here: AI Images Complicated the Search As news of the reward spread, investigator Brad Nathanson raised serious concerns about a wave of artificially generated images submitted by members of the public, apparently hoping to claim the money. "A photograph generated or manipulated by AI proves absolutely nothing about where a missing person is, whether he is alive, or whether somebody has actually seen him," Nathanson wrote on Facebook. He appealed to the public not to add to the family's distress by sending in false leads, stressing that fabricated images served only to waste investigators' time during a critical search. Public Reacts to Thomas's Safe Return Netizens flooded the comments section with messages of relief once word spread that Thomas had been found. Marlene Lennox wrote: "Great news" Hanelene Botha said: "Thank you God for keeping him safe 🙏" Sam Hulley shared: "So happy he has been found" Lynne Hill added: "Prayers answered. A wonderful start to the week. Thank you to all involved" Source: TUKO.co.ke