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Search for missing WVC man continues at Utah Lake

Posted at 9:39 PM, Mar 30, 2013
and last updated 2013-04-01 19:09:12-04

UTAH LAKE, Utah -- Search and rescue crews returned to Utah Lake Monday in an effort to find the body of a West Valley City man who disappeared there Saturday.

Sgt. Eldon Packer, Utah County Sheriff’s Office, said they are looking for the body of 37-year-old Tam Huynh, who has been described as a fisherman who frequently visits the lake by himself.

Packer said they believe Huynh left home around 8 a.m. on Saturday. His boat was found around 5:30 p.m. that day by two fishermen who noticed it wasn't tied to anything. Packer said rescuers have spoken with Huynh’s family.

The water temperature was about 54 degrees on Saturday night, which is cold enough that a person in the water would quickly succumb to hypothermia.

Crews searched on Friday night, through the weekend and on Monday without success. They say the search has become a recovery effort rather than a rescue attempt.

"We've turned to a recovery mission at this point, time limits and other things it becomes difficult to find anybody that's been in the water to this point," Packer said.

Teams have been searching the lake back and forth within a grid, but it's a large area to cover, and they don't know how far the boat may have drifted from the place where Huynh left it.

Strong winds impeded air and water search efforts on Monday.

"On this lake, because it is so shallow, we have a lot of problems when the wind kicks up," Packer said. "It becomes very treacherous and hard to do any searching with that."

Other anglers who visit Utah Lake say going out on the water solo is a bad idea.

"[He went] by himself? I wouldn't do it. I really wouldn't do it here," said Dennis Dreper.