Several search and rescue crews have been combing Placid Lake since about noon Saturday, Aug. 25 looking for DelRay Saeman, 69, of Great Falls, whose boat was found drifting on the lake with no one on board.

Public Information Officer with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office Paige Pavalone said on Sunday, that the first call came in to Fish, Wildlife and Parks at about 3 p.m. on Friday.

"A man and his wife were camping on Placid Lake, and as was his habit, would do mechanical work on his boat while it was out on the lake, so he wasn't anchored near a dock, " Pavalone said. "After the boat drifted in to shore empty, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was notified on Friday afternoon. Then, at about 11 a.m. Saturday, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office was contacted about launching a search and rescue mission."

Pavalone said several agencies have been involved in the search on Placid Lake.

"The original responding agency was the Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue team, and they were also joined by a search and rescue team out of Missoula, and then another from Flathead Lake came in to assist," Pavalone said. "There's a staff of 25 search and rescue personnel, a helicopter, three jet boats, and two jet skis doing grid patterns in an effort to find this missing man. They haven't had any success, as of [3 p.m. Sunday]."

Pavalone asked anyone who may have been recreating on Placid Lake who may have seen the missing man to contact the Missoula County Sheriff's Office at 258-4810.

Placid Lake is located a few miles up Highway 83 from Seeley Lake.

Missoula County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Paige Pavalone

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