Exhaustive searches reveal no clues for missing Oceana man.

March 1, 2017
Liz Reimink of Mason County Emergency Management discusses the search with Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast, left.

Liz Reimink of Mason County Emergency Management discusses the search with Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast, left.

Exhaustive searches reveal no clues for missing Oceana man.

#MasonCountyNews #BringRyanHome

By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.

SUMMIT TOWNSHIP — Numerous searches along the Lake Michigan coastline over the last two weeks involving planes, helicopters, drones, tracking dogs, dive teams, sonar equipment, an ATV and numerous searchers on foot have yielded no clues as to the whereabouts of 50-year-old Ryan Walsworth of Mears.

Ryan Walsworth

Ryan Walsworth

Family and friends continue to search the Lake Michigan coastline for Walsworth, who has been missing more than two weeks.

Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast said the sheriff’s office does not have any further resources to continue the search right now.

“At this point, I don’t have any additional resources to use on this search,” Mast said Wednesday, March 1. “Family and friends currently continue to search the beach area along Montgomery Boulevard and surrounding beaches. I am trying to remain in contact with the Walsworth family and will offer support and resources that I can if there arises a new area to look or search. We all continue to hope for some form of a miracle.”

“Last week on Feb. 22, we had Michigan Search and Rescue come to the area in Mason County on Montgomery Boulevard where Mr. Walsworth’s vehicle was discovered. They searched with a team of differently-trained canine units. Some were trained in tracking; some

Contributed photo by Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

Contributed photo by Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

were in trained in article detection; and others were trained cadaver dogs. They also brought two drones up which they used to search the water from above. After a lengthy day of searching, we again were unsuccessful in finding anything.”

So far, Mast has dispatched to following resources to the search scene:

– two different helicopters;
– three different privately-owned/operated fixed winged planes;
– Michigan State Police search and dive boat with a side scan sonar;
– the Oceana County Marine Patrol Boat and diving deputies;
– the Mason County K-9 Unit;
– a search dog from West Michigan K-9 of West Olive, Michigan;
– a team of dogs from Michigan Search and Rescue;
– Pentwater Fire Department ATV;
– at least four different drones; and
– countless volunteer foot searchers.

Contributed photo by Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

Contributed photo by Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

“There have been many, many volunteers walking the area searching since the day he became missing,” Mast said.

Walsworth’s sister-in-law, Judee Wilson, said searchers are concentrating on the Lake Michigan coastline from Bass Lake channel, north to Ludington and south to Pentwater.

A trending phrase, #BringRyanHome, is circulating through social media in the hopes that Walsworth will be found and the family will finally have closure.

Walsworth’s white 2012 Ford F150 Crew Cab pickup truck was found on Montgomery Boulevard, along Lake Michigan west of Bass Lake. He was last seen leaving his residence in Golden Township the morning of Feb. 13 in his truck.

Anyone who may have additional information is asked to contact the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office at 231-873-2121 or Mason-Oceana 911 at 231-869-5858.

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