An 83-year-old Portlock woman who wandered from the grounds of Bishop Museum on Friday was found safe early yesterday near the Aloha Tower, her family said.

Carla Anette Chotzen, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, went missing from the museum about 1:05 p.m. on Friday.

About 2:20 a.m. yesterday, she approached a couple fishing near Pier One and was able to remember her phone number when asked.

Her family and friends, who had saturated the community with more than 200 fliers since Chotzen's disappearance, were heading home to prepare for a second day of searching when they got a call from the couple.

Chotzen, after walking at least 10 miles over 13 hours, was barefoot, sunburned and dehydrated, but otherwise unharmed. When her family arrived to pick her up, she was sitting on the rocks at the pier with her feet up, downing guava juice, her daughter said.

"Our hearts have just opened from this experience," said Yvonne Chotzen, thanking the couple who found her mother. "The only reason she didn't walk away is they had the sense to detain her."

Chotzen said her mother, a photographer, doesn't remember where she walked on her journey or how she got to Aloha Tower.

Chotzen was on an outing at the Bishop Museum when she went missing. Yvonne Chotzen said the family had left the 83-year-old in front of the museum's cafe for only a few minutes.

They were amazed she walked all the way to Aloha Tower, as they were planning to concentrate their second day of the search in Kalihi.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.