Family 'exhausted' with worry as search for John Davidson continues at Lake Macquarie

Police are continuing their search for John Davidson, a 72-year-old who lives with advanced dementia, who disappeared on November 7.

Mr Davidson's daughter Bree Radford told the Newcastle Herald the family was "exhausted" with worry about where he got to.

"We're just blown away that he's not been seen," she said.

"He loves to walk. He generally heads off in the morning and does a lap around Mount Hutton, Gateshead, Windale or Charlestown but always makes his way home."

Ms Radford said her dad loved to chat with people - despite difficulties speaking - and was well-known in the area where the family had lived for the past three decades.

"He waves and smiles at everyone ... because he loves to interact with people," she said.

"He also loves to collect things on his travels or watch people working in their yards or road work.

"We're doing the best we can. It feels like Groundhog Day - we wake up, spend hours searching, no new information, go to bed physically and mentally exhausted worrying where Dad is, then wake up and do it all over again."

Mr Davidson is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, with medium build and grey hair and may be wearing jeans and white joggers.

Police and State Emergency Service volunteers have searched bushland and door-knocked in the Windale, Mount Hutton, Bennetts Green, Gateshead and Jewells areas as well as along the Fernleigh Track at Belmont over the past week and a half.

Investigators on Thursday repeated their call for anyone with CCTV footage that may depict Mr Davidson to contact police.

Missing person posters put up in the community are encouraging people to download the TILE smartphone app, which will alert Mr Davidson's family with a location if the user gets within 100 metres of him.

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