The body of a Michigan doctor was found in a frozen pond near his home after he had been missing for five days.
Dr. Bolek Payan’s body was recovered from a frozen pond near his residence in Leoni Township at around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from the Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety.
Payan had not contacted his employer, friends, or family since he was last seen leaving Henry Ford Jackson Hospital on December 22.
The day before his body was recovered, detectives discovered through security footage that Payan had last left his residence on the day he was last seen in the mid-afternoon.
Officials searched the surrounding property on foot while being assisted by K-9s and drones. Following a land search, holes were cut in the ice, and divers recovered the body the next day.
Detectives believe Payan was likely dead before he was reported missing due to the weather conditions associated with the winter storm from that day, and the fact he was located in the pond, according to the department of public safety.
The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy and toxicology test while the case remains under investigation.
The agencies involved in the rescue include the department of public safety, Jackson County Dive Team, Michigan Search and Rescue, J-DART, and neighbors.
Payan specialized in psychiatry and neurology and graduated from the Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017, according to his hospital bio.
“Our thoughts are with Dr. Payan’s family and friends,” the department of public safety added.
Payet’s death comes following the historic winter storm that gripped the east coast and midwest regions of the country. Over 50 people have been reported dead, including 34 dead in western New York, according to officials.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.