SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber says they’ve found the body of a father who went missing Wednesday morning in Shawano Lake.
In a release, Bieber says the body of 45-year-old Norman Robertson was spotted by a local businessman who had gone up in a plane to help in the search. Robertson’s body was located east of Schumacher’s Island, which is not near the search area on the southwest side of the lake.
Bieber says Robertson was from Kensington, Maryland, and had been in the area for a family reunion.
Officials and volunteers had been searching for Robertson after he jumped into the lake when his 10-year-old son fell into the water trying to climb into the family’s pontoon boat. That was around 11 a.m. Wednesday.
According to sheriff’s deputies, high winds pushed the boat away from the father and son, while efforts to reconnect were hampered when a tow rope became stuck in the boat’s propeller.
The boy was able to swim to a shallow area of the lake, where he was rescued by crews.
Robertson went out on Shawano Lake with his own father, and his two sons, ages 9 and 10, to go tubing.
Bieber says as many as 50 people, 10 boats, a plane and a helicopter helped with search efforts. Professional dive teams also volunteered in the search.
