A heartbroken granddaughter is desperate for answers after a 73-year-old dementia patient "escaped" his hospital before he was found dead in a creek in regional New South Wales, saying the hospital "won’t even tell us what happened."

Former professional boxer Elwood Dennis disappeared on Friday, September 19 after he walked free from the gates of a Walgett hospital in the state's Central North.

His family launched a desperate bid to find him after receiving an alert from the hospital.

Initial searches conducted by police, SES, rural firefighters and Mr Dennis’ many family members in the town proved fruitless, and a police helicopter on Saturday found no trace of the 73-year-old.

A family member attempted to retrace Mr Dennis’ final steps last Monday.

They were led to a small bridge ov

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