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Search for missing man called off in Racine
Search for missing man called off in Racine
RACINE -- Officials say the search for the missing boater at Zoo Beach in the Village of Wind Point Monday morning, August 13th was called off. Officials say the boater was found asleep behind a building about 100 yards off the shoreline.
Around 3 a.m. a search and rescue crew was called to Zoo Beach off Racine County's Wind Point. A press release from Racine County Sheriff's officials says 49-year-old Richard Herek and 44-year-old Jeffrey Martin took Herek's boat for a ride when they incurred engine trouble.
Herek reportedly left the boat on shore to go find help. When he returned, Martin was missing.
Martin had left the boat on foot, and reportedly gave misleading information to a police officer, upon contact. Based on Martin's statements, a search was launched for Herek.
“An individual came up the beach and made contact with a Wind Point police officer. He told the officer he had fallen out of a boat and had been swimming for about an hour to get to shore. The individual was intoxicated. He said there was one other individual in the boat who was the boat owner, but did not know where that person was," Lt. Dan Klatt said.
Officials searched the area by air and water for Herek.
Dive teams were also on the scene to assist with the search, however, they were called off because crews did not know the exact point were the missing man reportedly fell into the water.
“We had our dive team out here, but without an actual area to search pinpointed -- we’re not putting divers in the water," Klatt said.
Investigators said while looking for Herek, they located the 18-foot long fishing boat a short distance down the beach.
The search continued for about four-and-a-half hours, before search crews were alerted to a man who was sleeping behind a building.
Herek was taken from the scene in a police car. He was believed to have been intoxicated, according to a Racine County Sheriff's Office press release.
Martin was arrested and taken to jail where he is being held on obstructing for providing false information to law enforcement, open intoxicants and a probation hold.