UPDATE 8/6/12 @ 6 p.m.
SOUTH POINT, Ohio (WSAZ) -- Perhaps it was a walk across town to check on a sick relative or a stroll to a familiar home for a visit. Either way, an Alzheimer's patient's early morning walk took a deadly slip -- landing him in the Ohio River where he drowned. It was an accident Wilbur "Randall" Maynard's family took every step to prevent.

“That was a difficult day," said Randy Maynard, who is Randall's son. "If anyone knew Randall Maynard, he loved his car and he loved the road."

Randy remembers the day he took the keys away from his dad with sadness.

“I was one of the last ones to hold out because I knew he would run errands to the store and when he was no longer able to do those types of tasks, I said, 'OK, we need to do this for the safety of other people on the road,” Randy said.

From the moment Randall Maynard was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, his family put measures in place to keep him safe.

“I have a nephew who said I'll move in, and he's managed their care,” Randy said.

But, despite that 24/7 care and a home health care nurse that made regular visits, about 6:30 a.m. Saturday Randall Maynard still slipped out of the house. His son, who lives several hours away, has a pretty good idea where he may have been headed.

“I believe he was going to his sister's house who had just had a minor operation, and I believe he was going down to see her because he cared deeply about his family,” Randy said.

Randy says his father left his home along Brubaker Drive in South Point and headed east toward Burlington. But, a little more than a mile away, just off Old Route 52, Randy says heavy rains may have forced his father to seek shelter under a train trestle. That is where things took a deadly slide.

“All I know is he slipped," Randy said. "They found his shoe on the bank, and he slipped down on the river and apparently tried to get up and slipped on a dock and perhaps hit his head and he drowned.”

“It was definitely a drowning," South Point Mayor Ron West said. "The coroner said he was definitely breathing when he went into the water, so it was definitely a drowning."

While it's easy to dwell on the negative, Randy and his family know they did everything possible and accept this as a horrible accident.

“I have my faith and trust in a sovereign God and I know without a shadow of a doubt that's where he is," Randy said. "He's got his memory back, his mind is clear and it will just be a short time before we're all back together."

Randall Maynard's family would like to extend much gratitude to the hundreds of people who went out in search of him.

As it turned out, Ceredo, W.Va., rescue crews found him in the river about 30 yards off the Ohio's banks. Randall Maynard's family says this was the first time he had ever wandered away from home.

Family members say Maynard, 73, was an Alzheimer's patient, and disappeared about 8 a.m. Saturday. His nurse contacted police as soon as she realized he was missing.

Because Maynard's body was found on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, the Wayne County, W.Va. Coroner is handling the investigation.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.

Firefighters, police and other emergency responders are now on the scene. No other details have been released about the discovery.

WSAZ.com has a crew on scene and will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Mr. Maynard's grandson says his nurse realized he was missing around 8 am Saturday.

He says Maynard is an Alzheimer patient.

Police say he is about 6'2 with gray hair and believed to be wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans.

Call 9-1-1 if you have any information.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.