Searchers look for overdue angler
JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 7 months AGO
A Search and Rescue boat surveys the north end of Lake McDonald on Wednesday in Glacier National Park. Searchers are looking for Michael William Sloan, 30, of Hungry Horse, who has been missing since Tuesday.
More than 25 searcher and rescue personnel take part in the search for Michael William Sloan, 30, of Hungry Horse on Wednesday in Glacier National Park. The search area focused on Upper McDonald Creek and included dogs, dive teams and a helicopter fly over.
A helicopter from Minuteman Aviation flies low to the ground along Upper McDonald Creek on Wednesday morning as searchers continue to look for Michael William Sloan, 30, of Hungry Horse. More than 25 searches from various organizations took part in the search. Searchers included volunteers, members of the Flathead County Search and Rescue, members of North Valley Search and Rescue, and members of the Flathead County Dive Team.
Members of the Flathead County Sheriff's Office Dive Team prepare to enter Lake McDonald on Wednesday in Glacier National Park. Search and rescue personnel are looking for Michael William Sloan, 30, of Hungry Horse, missing since Tuesday.
A 30-year-old Hungry Horse man is missing in Glacier National Park after an afternoon fishing trip along Upper McDonald Creek at the north end of Lake McDonald.
A comprehensive search for Michael William Sloan was launched Tuesday evening and it carried on through Wednesday, with no sign of the missing man by late afternoon.
“They continue to search and look for clues,” Wade Muehlhof, a park public affairs officer, said Wednesday. “The dive team has been in the water a lot today. If they don’t find anything, they’ll continue tomorrow morning.”
A friend of Sloan’s asked him to go fishing around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, but the friend was not able to go.
Sloan did not show up for a scheduled work shift later that afternoon and was reported missing to Glacier Park Dispatch shortly before 6 p.m.
Park rangers located Sloan’s vehicle at about 6:20 p.m. near the bridge over Upper McDonald Creek.
“Next to his vehicle they found a pair of shoes,” Muehlhof said. “That would be consistent with someone using fishing waders.”
Rangers searched into the night Tuesday both on the ground and by boat.
They covered both banks of Upper McDonald Creek, the shoreline on the north end of Lake McDonald and the confluence of the lake and creek — but they did not locate Sloan.
Upper McDonald Creek area is known to have strong down currents and extremely cold water and there is a steep drop-off at the head of Lake McDonald.
Muehlhof said divers were searching at depths around 90 feet.
The National Park Service resumed the search Wednesday morning with the assistance of Flathead County Search and Rescue, North Valley Search and Rescue, Flathead County Dive Team, and a contracted helicopter from Minuteman Aviation.
Search dogs were used along the shoreline.
Sonar was used to assist the dive team. A helicopter searched surrounding forested areas by air.
According to park records, drowning is the leading cause of death in Glacier.
Of the 244 deaths recorded in the park’s 100-year history, 53 have been water-related.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.
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