(Pinedale, Wyoming – Monday, August 29^th, 2022) Fremont Lake search for missing local “Rick” De Ruiter Zylker update #2.

Tip Top Search and Rescue (TTSAR) boat “Closure” and crew worked on completing their search “box” today, north of Moosehead Bay in Fremont Lake. As of 4:30PM, they still have not located Mr. Zylker. Weather conditions today were prime and allowed the teams to search well in to the afternoon. The weather forecast is favorable for the rest of the week. The crew also began mapping defined boundaries of rocky areas which will aid in building a 3D sonar map showing the steep sides and cliff sections. This will help with the deployment of our Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV).

We also had assistance today from two dog teams: Idaho Search and Rescue Dogs, Inc. out of Driggs, Idaho and Jackson Hole Search Dogs out of Jackson, Wyoming. Pictured are Debra Hurlburt and K9 Bannock (Idaho Search and Rescue Dogs, Inc) and John LaBrec and K9 Taz (Jackson Hole Search Dogs). One of the teams conducted a free air sniff search of the water as the other team concentrated on the shoreline. The teams then switched, and compared their findings. Both dog teams indicated on the water. Using their GPS waypoints, we were able to draw another box within our search area.

Plans tomorrow are to reduce the span on the sonar which will enhance resolution, and tighten the search pattern. This span is the number of feet the Tow Fish scans to each side. Search teams plan on using the ROV to search hard to scan areas as well as targets of interest.

Thank you to the Wyoming Game and Fish for providing a boat and crew every day of the search thus far. Thank you also to Sue Eversull and her staff at Rendezvous Pointe for providing meals for all of our crew. In addition, thank you to Lakeside Lodge owners Kyle and Audrey Odermann and Quinn for assisting in retrieving tracking information from the pontoon boat used the day of the incident.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

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KC Lehr

Sublette County Sheriff