Search Continues For Hunter Missing Almost a Year

Last November, 82-year-old Thomas Messick went hunting in the Adirondacks and hasn't been heard from since.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, even though they had a pretty good idea of where he was while hunting, after a massive two month search by Forest Rangers, volunteers, State Police, Environmental Conservation offices, as well as other state and county agencies, no sign of  Mr. Messick, or his belongings, has been located.

While this is a heartbreaking story, you may be wondering how productive a search so long after he went missing can be. His family and Forest rangers are still searching under a limited continuous protocol and they are asking specifically for other hunters to help.

Why hunters? Because hunters have been very helpful in the past in locating missing persons or discovering signs of those who have been lost. If you're hunting, typically you're in an area that most folks don't get to and you are very observant about your surroundings.

If you or your family and friends are planning any hunting excursions around Schroon Lake this season, please keep Mr. Messick and his family in mind. He is 5-foot-ten weighing about 160 pounds and was last seen wearing a camouflage jacket, coveralls, and a red and black plaid hat. If you find any evidence, you are asked to call DEC Ray Brook Dispatch at 518-897-1300.