Police last night found a missing 73-year-old Canadian woman who suffers from dementia, about 19 hours after she wandered away from The Queen's Medical Center.

Margot Willis was found shortly before 10 p.m. at a service station at the corner of Ward Avenue and Queen Street in Kaka'ako, about a mile from the hospital. Gas station employees called police after recognizing the woman from photo bulletins released yesterday afternoon.

"She's OK, no serious injuries are noted," missing persons investigator Philip Camero said.

Willis was en route home to Victoria, British Columbia, from a visit to Australia when she left Honolulu Airport Thursday during a stopover "to see Honolulu," said her daughter, Paula Willis, who flew here from Canada over the weekend.

Margot Willis, who had been staying at an airport-area hotel, was taken to Queen's after complaining of stomach problems, and her daughter came to Hawai'i to take her home.

Paula Willis said her mother became agitated after being checked out of the hospital and that she took her back to Queen's yesterday morning to obtain medication.

While at the hospital, her mother walked off about 3 a.m., Paula Willis said.

"She's probably frightened and lacking sleep," Paula Willis said during the search.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.