Found in Stairwell, Asks for Cup of Tea : Woman, 71, Lost 7 Days Inside Lord & Taylors

A missing elderly woman was found “in remarkably good condition” in the same Lord & Taylor store where her husband dropped her off seven days ago for a hair appointment, authorities said.

Brigitte Pierre, 71, of Bethesda, Md., was found about 6 p.m. Monday in a little-used stairwell in the store in Northwest Washington.

Upon being found, she told searchers she was waiting for her husband and asked for a cup of tea.

A spokeswoman for Sibley Memorial Hospital said the woman was being treated for dehydration. Pierre told medical personnel she spent almost the entire time sleeping.

A missing persons report issued by the Montgomery County police described the woman as suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. But her husband, Henri, denied that she suffered from the disease. He described her as “very confused” and “very forgetful, adding that three months ago she was found to be suffering from a “shrinkage of the brain.”

“We’re just thrilled that she’s alive and that we found her,” said Robert Morrison, regional vice president of Lord & Taylor. “It’s like a Christmas miracle.”