(Wahpeton)– Strong wind today (Thurs.) once again forced officials to suspend sonar operations in the ongoing search for 12-year-old Collin Helmers of Estherville. Helmers has been missing since October 23rd when a dock barge he was on sank on West Lake Okoboji.
The same accident claimed the life of 31-year-old Matthew Molacek of Wallingford. His body was found a couple days later.
Sheriff Greg Baloun says Gene Ralston of Ralston and Associates of Idaho, a firm specializing in using side scan sonar technology to conduct searches, was able to search a large area Wednesday but couldn’t turn up anything.
Baloun says they’re thinking about calling cadaver dogs back in, but a decision on that hasn’t been made yet.
