LAKE PLACID — A grid search was implemented Thursday in the ongoing effort to find Seth Kilburn.
After three days of canvassing roadways and areas in and just outside the village, no evidence of the missing father of two young children has turned up.
Kilburn, 35, has not been seen since early Sunday morning, when he left Wiseguys Nightclub on foot.
He lives on Mill Pond Drive, not far from the bar’s location on School Street, in a densely settled part of Lake Placid.
Joan Grady, a close friend of the Kilburn family, said they are holding up as well as can be expected.
“Everybody is out looking,” she said. “We’re asking that everyone in town keep their eyes on their own property. Check for anything that might look quirky, even if you don’t think its important; it might be the thing that we need.”
Kilburn does not have a cell phone, she said.
Authorities likewise urged Lake Placid residents to remain vigilant and check around their property and inside out-buildings or garages for anything amiss.
Thus far, police do not suspect foul play.
And there is no direct evidence to indicate that Kilburn may have been disoriented in walking away from the bar on Sunday, which could have led him to seek shelter, according to Lake Placid Police Sgt. Chuck Dobson.
“There are grid searches being done in areas closest to where he was last seen,” Dobson said from the command post at the Lake Placid Fire Station, 456 Old Military Road.
A grid search is a technical pattern used to cover ground in an effort to find a missing person or any sign of a missing person.
In addition, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation deployed boats Wednesday to search in Mill Pond, Mirror Lake and Lake Placid lake.
But there was nothing new to report, Dobson said at midday Thursday.
“The search is continuing. We’re using the assistance of the DEC and State Police, along with several volunteers from area fire departments, and SARNAK (Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks). We had assistance from DEC in boats and the State Police helicopter on Wednesday.”
“We’re just covering as many areas and exploring all possibilities at this time. We would like all Lake Placid residents to check their property for any signs that something is out of the ordinary and report to police if anything has been moved or tampered with like someone’s been there.”
The technical search does not require additional manpower.
“If the time comes that we request volunteer assistance, we will put that out to the press,” Dobson said.
Official “Missing Person” fliers are available to print on the Lake Placid Police Department Facebook page.
The notices have been posted throughout Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Keene.
Kilburn is described as a white male with brown hair and eyes, 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighing 195 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue-and-white striped polo shirt and tan- or khaki-colored shorts. He wears eyeglasses.
Anyone who may have seen Kilburn is asked to call Lake Placid Police at 523-3306 or 523-3211.
Email Kim Smith Dedam:
kdedam@pressrepublican.com
