MIDLAND CO. -- A plan to lower the water level of Sanford Lake in order to search for the body of a missing teacher has been canceled.
The Midland County Sheriff had planned on draining the lake by 3 feet in order to look for Bob Cole. Cole has been missing since early February. He went to track down his dog near his home. Authorities found tracks leading into the water, but none coming out.
Rescue crews, dive teams, and helicopter crews searched desperately for the Meridian track coach, but to no avail. A couple weeks later, the two year old yellow lab named Joe was found dead on top of n broke ice in the river.
Sheriff Jerry Nielson planned on lowering the water to look for Cole’s body in places crews wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. However, Wednesday Sheriff Nielson said the plan had been canceled since it would create unsafe conditions and could put nearby fisherman and snowmobilers at risk.
The sheriff stated that in order for the plan to work, they would have to hire 24 hour staff members to keep people off the 2700 acre lake. Due to staff resources, the sheriff says this task would be impossible.
In a statement, Sheriff Nielson says, “while my commitment to locating Mr. Cole in order to provide closure for his family remains strong, I must weigh the risk posed to the public at large. My office will continue in our search as we have in the past.”
