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Retired San Francisco Firefighter's Body Found After He Never Made It To Chicago

HAIGLER, Neb. (CBS) -- The body of a retired San Francisco firefighter has been found in Nebraska, after he disappeared from a Chicago-bound Amtrak train.

The family of Charlie Dowd, 69, of San Mateo, Calif., said Friday night that his body was spotted by a railway worker in Haigler – a tiny town of about 160 people in the southwest corner of Nebraska between Fort Morgan, Colo., and McCook, Neb., CBS San Francisco reported.

Investigators had focused their search in the area.

Dowd had been headed to Chicago on a California Zephyr train that was traveling from Emeryville, Calif. But when the train arrived in Chicago, Dowd was not on it, although his cell phone, luggage and medication were all there, CBS San Francisco reported.

Dowd had last been seen by a conductor on the train near Omaha, and the conductor said Dowd had seemed confused about his whereabouts, CBS San Francisco reported. Dowd takes medication that can leave him disoriented, CBS SF reported.

Reports from passengers who saw him had investigators thinking he may have fallen off the train in eastern Colorado or western Nebraska.

Messages left for Amtrak officials weren't immediately returned.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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