Authorities Search Lake Michigan For 2 Missing Roommates
WYOMING, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Authorities have been searching Lake Michigan and its coastline for two men missing since last week.
The U.S. Coast Guard has used helicopters, a plane and boat to help find 25-year-old Christopher Patterson and 40-year-old Aaron Juarez.
"We actually received notification [Wednesday] that the two gentlemen were missing," Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Christopher Yaw told WWJ's Beth Fisher. "Since then, we've been out with multiple air assets and surface assets on Lake Michigan, searching an area about 2,000 square-nautical miles."
Family members told authorities that the men had not been heard from since late Friday. They were known to fish in Lake Michigan near Port Sheldon, usually in a 16-foot blue and white boat with an outboard motor.
A SUV and empty boat trailer belonging to one of the men were found Wednesday in a boat launch parking lot near Pigeon Lake in Olive Township, just west of Grand Rapids. Cell phone records also show that one of their phones was near the boat launch about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
"At this point, it's really hard to say what happened because we don't have any other information other than where they left from and what kind of vessel they were in," said Yaw.
Multiple agencies will continue searching for the men, sending crews out in timed intervals, until further notice.
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