MAYVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Chautauqua County Sheriffs will continue its search by water and by air of Chautauqua Lake for a 64-year-old Varysburg man, who was last seen on Wednesday night.
The next sign of David Spink was his empty boat, which was found on shore at Long Point State Park Thursday night.
Spink was last seen at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday as he was leaving Camp Prendergast. He was supposed to launch at Prendergast Point and pick up a friend near Magnolia. But he never showed. Family members then alerted authorities.
Throughout Friday, the sheriff’s office had teams searching the lake by boat and helicopter without success.
They’re focusing their efforts on the north end of the 18-mile lake. Sheriff Joseph Gerace says it’s a difficult search because of the size of the area between where Spink launched his boat and where it was found ashore. The sheriff also said they’re not sure how the boat ended up where it did, and that either the motor guided it there or the current.
“We tend to believe that the boat may have been under power when he left the vessel, which gives us really no where to start as far as where to search.” Gerace said. “That’s a big body of water.”
Spink’s truck and boat trailer was recovered from the Prendergast Point Public Boat Launch.
It’s a popular place, especially during the summer. The sheriff says incidents like this should serve as a reminder to boater safety.
“Chautauqua lake is a very popular lake over the summer time, so we have a lot of boats out there, so it’s important that people are very careful, they are very observant, and the very observant of other boaters swimmers and skiers.”
The sheriff says crews will return to the lake Saturday morning with reinforcements from state police who are expected to bring out their helicopter and sonar equipment.
The next sign of David Spink was his empty boat, which was found on shore at Long Point State Park Thursday night.
Spink was last seen at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday as he was leaving Camp Prendergast. He was supposed to launch at Prendergast Point and pick up a friend near Magnolia. But he never showed. Family members then alerted authorities.
Throughout Friday, the sheriff’s office had teams searching the lake by boat and helicopter without success.
They’re focusing their efforts on the north end of the 18-mile lake. Sheriff Joseph Gerace says it’s a difficult search because of the size of the area between where Spink launched his boat and where it was found ashore. The sheriff also said they’re not sure how the boat ended up where it did, and that either the motor guided it there or the current.
“We tend to believe that the boat may have been under power when he left the vessel, which gives us really no where to start as far as where to search.” Gerace said. “That’s a big body of water.”
Spink’s truck and boat trailer was recovered from the Prendergast Point Public Boat Launch.
It’s a popular place, especially during the summer. The sheriff says incidents like this should serve as a reminder to boater safety.
“Chautauqua lake is a very popular lake over the summer time, so we have a lot of boats out there, so it’s important that people are very careful, they are very observant, and the very observant of other boaters swimmers and skiers.”
The sheriff says crews will return to the lake Saturday morning with reinforcements from state police who are expected to bring out their helicopter and sonar equipment.
