click on the address for the story
http://www.postcrescent.com/article...79/Police-search-for-two-missing-snowmobilers
http://www.postcrescent.com/article...79/Police-search-for-two-missing-snowmobilers
2 Missing Snowmobilers in Wisconsin
- Thread starter gary_in_neenah
- Start date
The distance between the point of their last known location, the Still & Grill and the Pit Stop where their trailer was parked is only about 10 miles or so. Unfortunately, the shortest point between the two would be across Lake Winnebago....at night.
Weather Conditions were clear with good visibility but there is open water on the Fox River in both Neenah and Menasha areas.
Weather Conditions were clear with good visibility but there is open water on the Fox River in both Neenah and Menasha areas.
Here's the latest as of Monday morning,
Winnebago County and Neenah Menasha Fire Rescue searched an area of Lake Winnebago for the men Sunday evening. The units were searching an area from Neenah's Recreation Park to the Neenah Harbor, and checked to Waverly Beach and back, officials said.
Winnebago Sgt. Jeff Gruss said the Oshkosh Fire Department checked an area around the mouth of the Fox River earlier in the day.
"We heard they may have been in the Oshkosh area and then we heard they may have been going to Calumet," he said. "We also checked local hospitals and gathering places but to no avail at this point.
"We have pretty much exhausted our search options so we hope to get more information overnight and go on from there."
Winnebago County and Neenah Menasha Fire Rescue searched an area of Lake Winnebago for the men Sunday evening. The units were searching an area from Neenah's Recreation Park to the Neenah Harbor, and checked to Waverly Beach and back, officials said.
Winnebago Sgt. Jeff Gruss said the Oshkosh Fire Department checked an area around the mouth of the Fox River earlier in the day.
"We heard they may have been in the Oshkosh area and then we heard they may have been going to Calumet," he said. "We also checked local hospitals and gathering places but to no avail at this point.
"We have pretty much exhausted our search options so we hope to get more information overnight and go on from there."
If they crossed Lake Winnebago and went straight across from the Still and Grill they wouldn't have broken through. I was ice fishing this weekend and they have roads plowed completely across the lake in a couple places. Trucks are driving all over the place out there. But if they headed towards the rivers that could have been a problem. There was another sled that went in the river in Neenah on Saturday night but the guy was ok.
This is the link for the guy who sank his sled. Lucky for him he made it out ok!
http://www.postcrescent.com/article...10120/1979/Neenah-snowmobiler-survives-plunge
http://www.postcrescent.com/article...10120/1979/Neenah-snowmobiler-survives-plunge
Here's the current status as of Monday Afternoon...
Two helicopters are sweeping Lake Winnebago in the search, and Winnebago County Sheriff's Lt. John Zimmerman characterized the search this afternoon as a recovery effort, not a rescue.
A command post has been set up in Menasha's Jefferson Park as authorities continue the search. Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue and the Oshkosh Fire Department both have stationed Husky air boats at the park — the boats are capable of traversing water and ice.
Zimmerman said searchers are "trying to make the best of the daylight we have now."
Sunset is at 4:38 p.m. today.
The helicopters — a U.S. Coast Guard chopper based in Traverse City, Mich., and the Eagle III medical helilcopter based in Green Bay — are working in conjunction to look for signs of the men.
The Coast Guard helicopter started its search at Fond du Lac and is proceeding north, said Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Mike Sipin, and the Eagle III helicopter is searching from north to south.
Gary Kerkman, a member of the Paynes Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club, said a crack in the ice runs from the mouth of the river Neenah and Menasha all the way south to Fond du Lac.
Kerkman said the crack is large, and its width varies day to day. The club has placed a steel bridge over the crack to allow travelers to cross from one side to the other.
Two helicopters are sweeping Lake Winnebago in the search, and Winnebago County Sheriff's Lt. John Zimmerman characterized the search this afternoon as a recovery effort, not a rescue.
A command post has been set up in Menasha's Jefferson Park as authorities continue the search. Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue and the Oshkosh Fire Department both have stationed Husky air boats at the park — the boats are capable of traversing water and ice.
Zimmerman said searchers are "trying to make the best of the daylight we have now."
Sunset is at 4:38 p.m. today.
The helicopters — a U.S. Coast Guard chopper based in Traverse City, Mich., and the Eagle III medical helilcopter based in Green Bay — are working in conjunction to look for signs of the men.
The Coast Guard helicopter started its search at Fond du Lac and is proceeding north, said Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Mike Sipin, and the Eagle III helicopter is searching from north to south.
Gary Kerkman, a member of the Paynes Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club, said a crack in the ice runs from the mouth of the river Neenah and Menasha all the way south to Fond du Lac.
Kerkman said the crack is large, and its width varies day to day. The club has placed a steel bridge over the crack to allow travelers to cross from one side to the other.
The tracks were discovered about 1:30 p.m. near Jefferson Park in Menasha by two employees of Sunk, Dive and Ice Service of Oshkosh. The Sunk, Dive and Ice employees were on the ice near the water's edge searching for a snowmobile that went into the water earlier in the weekend in an unrelated incident — the driver in that case was able to call for help and was rescued.
****Searchers have found the body of one of the two missing snowmobilers in the waters of Lake Winnebago.
****Searchers have found the body of one of the two missing snowmobilers in the waters of Lake Winnebago.