Person sheriff: Man who disappeared while walking dog has military survival skills, may be alive

Authorities said William Daniel Holt has a military background and may have reverted to his old survival skills to survive in the 25-degree weather the region experienced over the weekend.

According to state Division of Emergency Management officials, a person should be able to survive in freezing weather for three or four days, although Person County Sheriff Dewey Jones said in a Monday news conference that he hopes Holt has found shelter.

By Monday evening, Jones said, searchers had canvassed more than 1,600 acres. They found a number of shelters in the woods, but Holt wasn't in any of them, the sheriff said.

"We’re hoping that he has caught a ride, a possibility, or he has bunkered down," Jones said. "We do still have hope that he is out there."

The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued a Silver Alert for Holt on Friday after he was last seen around noon at 412 Shiloh Church Road. Holt's family said he was walking his dog, Chunky, and may have gotten lost.

"The last few days have been stressful," said Jason Stewart, Holt's nephew. "We've got a lot of tips, a lot of leads and a lot of false hopes – a lot of leads that didn’t pan out."

Family members said Holt, who is from Swansboro but was visiting relatives in the Roxboro area, has wandered off before, Jones said.

"Christmas is kind of like a second thought, but we’re going to move forward and do the best we can," Stewart said.

Holt doesn't have a wallet or identification with him, but he does have a cellphone, although he hasn't turned it on, the sheriff said.

"We want him safe and to let him know that we love him," said Holt's wife, Judy Holt.

Holt stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weights 128 pounds. He has short, gray hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a blue coat, burgundy sweatshirt, blue pants and black tennis shoes. He has memory loss issues. Chunky is small with white and brown fur.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Person County Sheriff's Office at 336-597-0511.

"Please call. Just let us know because we just want a successful conclusion to all of this," Stewart said.