By Dewey Terrill
UPDATE:
Authorities have suspended their search for a possible drowning victim at Milford Lake for the day ( Monday ). Gusty winds have created problems in the Clarks Creek area on the northwest side of the reservoir. There were high waves and high surf and the dive team and boats could not be put in the water. There is a chance of inclement weather throughout the day.
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Geary County Sheriff's authorities note that the search for a possible drowning victim at Milford Lake was called for the day early Sunday evening. Two days searching have been met with negative results.
Multiple agencies from across the region joined the Geary Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and the Geary County Sheriff's Office/Junction City Fire Department Dive Team in their search for the missing subject. We would like to thank Kansas Wildlife and Parks Parks Division, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Law Enforcement Division, Milford State Park Wildlife and Parks Division along with Corps of Engineering Park Rangers for their assistance today. Departments planned to use remaining hours of daylight to evaluate their equipment and prep it to resume the search Monday morning after sunrise.
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Authorities resumed their search for a possible drowning victim at Milford Lake about 8 a.m. Sunday, but as of 4:10 p.m. Sunday their efforts were still continuing.
David Gilbert, Captain, Geary County Sheriff Department, said multiple agencies including the Sheriff Department, Milford State Park, Kansas Wildlife and Parks personnel from Wilson Lake and the Corps of Engineers along with six boats have been involved in the search. "We have our dive team that is going out as they find things on side scan that possibly resembles a body." Gilbert explained the dive team has gone down four times and has checked five locations, but so far all of those searches have produced a negative result with no discovery.
The search has focused on the northwest side of Milford Lake over a 600-yard stretch in the Curtis Creek area.
Deputies responded to the Eagle Ridge Campground in Milford State Park Saturday afternoon regarding a woman who had drifted into the shoreline in a homemade water vessel. The woman told authorities she and a man were walking along the shoreline near Curtis Creek when they located the vessel which was made from 55 gallon drums and 2 x 4 lumber. The couple entered the water in the vessel when they were caught by the wind and were being pulled toward the main body of the lake. The man jumped into the water to swim to shore to call for help. He was last seen in the water as the woman drifted away in the vessel.
Gilbert confirmed the woman was taken to a hospital. She was retained for observation overnight and released on Sunday morning.
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Geary County sheriff's authorities searched Saturday evening for a man last seen swimming to shore in Milford Lake. Deputies had responded to Eagle Ridge Campground in Milford State Park at 3:29 p.m. regarding a woman who had drifted into shoreline in a homemade water vessel. The search was ended for the evening about 9:15 p.m. and will resume early Sunday morning.
According to the Sheriff Department, the woman said that she and a man were walking the shoreline near Curtis Creek when they located a water vessel made from 55 gallon drums and 2x4 lumber. The couple enter water in the vessel when they were caught by the wind and were being pulled toward the main body of the lake. The man jumped into the water to swim to shore to call for help. He was last seen in the water as the woman drifted away in the vessel.
The Sheriff Department reported that the incident is being investigated as a possible drowning at this time.
Geary County Sheriff's Deputies along with the Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and the Geary County Sheriff's Office / Junction City Fire Department Dive team searched the area.