Loudon, Tenn. — Update: Wednesday, May 23
The active search and recovery effort has ended for a Maryland man who went for a swim more than a week ago in Tellico Lake and never returned.
55-year-old Michael Carnock Sr. went for a swim wearing a wetsuit and an orange swimming cap last Tuesday morning, leaving his clothes and a towel on the dock. Carnock, described as an experienced swimmer, was visiting the area with his family.
For days, dive teams and crews with SONAR equipment searched the lake and banks of the lake with no luck.
The latest search efforts involved the volunteer Rapid Response Services team, but they wrapped up Tuesday evening.
The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office will continue checking the shoreline every morning and evening.
After Memorial Day, a Minnesota search team hired by the family is expected to come down and being their search efforts.
Update: Friday, May 18
Crews have resumed their search for a man who went swimming Tuesday in Tellico Lake and never returned.
The operation transitioned from a rescue mission to a search and recovery mission Tuesday. Dive teams from the Blount County Sheriff's Office say they've cleared the areas around bluffs and caves, as well as a cove adjacent to where he was last seen.
According to the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old Michael Carnock Sr. went for a swim wearing a wetsuit and an orange swimming cap Tuesday morning at the lake. A neighbor said they saw him making his way out toward a Jackson Island.
Carnock was supposed to take his mother to a doctor appointment later that afternoon but never returned. He is from Maryland. Authorities said he, his wife and three sons were visiting his family in Tellico Village.
Carnock was described as an experienced swimmer and has done two mile swims before.
The man's belongings were still on the dock at the Clear Creek boat ramp off Tellico Parkway, including shoes, shorts, and a towel according to Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider.
Dive teams and the Tellico Village Volunteer Fire Department searched the lake until nightfall Wednesday and Thursday.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Air National Guard and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are assisting the search from the air. Crews said visibility in the water is low, so they are using sonar and other technology to locate him. A cadaver dog was also sent out to search.
"This morning, we've had everything from cadaver dogs out on the water on boats, looking for any kind of indicators on that respect," Loudon County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jimmy Davis said.
Crews said the operation is geared toward a recovery given the time that's passed, but they haven't completely given up hope of finding Carnock alive.