Drones, Underwater Cameras Aid In Search For Missing Savage Man
SAVAGE, Minn. (WCCO) -- The search continued Saturday for a Twin Cities man who went missing three months ago. Everything from underwater cameras, drones, and other technology have been used in the search.
Martise Windom, 39, has been missing since Nov. 7. Volunteers searched the Northeast corner of Prior Lake Saturday near Windom's home in Savage.
In the three months since Windom went missing, family and friends have never given up.
"He's charismatic, he's kind, he's funny, and he's just really engaging," a friend said during Saturday's search.
Amid the fresh fallen snow in the middle of winter, volunteers tried a new tactic in the search effort. Using ice augers to dig beneath the ice, they dropped cameras into Prior Lake.
"I'm going to try side-imaging sonar mounted," volunteer diver John Oliver said, "so I can be rotating it 360 degrees and see out under the ice sheet with hopes we find Martise."
Drones flew over Savage last week for an aerial search. United Legacy has also been using a search and rescue app.
"Just everyone from the community coming together, bringing us their underwater cameras, ice augers," Andrea Smith, a friend of Windom's, said. "It's wonderful that everybody is still coming together."
Friends of Windom say his disappearance was uncharacteristic, and they're hopeful one of the searches will bring him home.
There's a fundraiser scheduled to help Windom's family on Feb. 27 at The Pointe in Prior Lake from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.