Michigan Doctor Found Dead in Frozen Pond 5 Days After Going Missing

Five days after going missing from his workplace, a Michigan doctor was discovered dead beneath the ice of a frozen pond, authorities said.

Divers recovered Dr. Bolek Payan’s body from a pond near his home, Blackman-Leoni Public Safety (BLDPS) said in a statement on Dec. 27.

“Detectives believe Dr. Payan would have been deceased, prior to when he was reported missing, due to the weather conditions on the day that he left his residence and the fact that he was in the water,” the statement said.

Detectives acquired access to Payan's home security system and observed Payan leave his house on foot around midday on Dec. 22.

Authorities mentioned they searched Payan’s residence on foot, with drones and K-9s with no luck.

“After not locating anything on land, holes were cut in the ice of a pond on the property yesterday and divers located Dr. Payan’s body under the ice,” BLDPS said in a statement.

“The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducting an autopsy and toxicology testing, which will aid in further investigating this incident,” they said.

BLDPS thanked the Jackson County Dive Team, Michigan Search and Rescue, Jackson County Disaster Assistance Response Team, and the public for their aid in the incident.

“Our thoughts are with Dr. Payan's family and friends," authorities said.

According to his professional bio, Payan graduated from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017 and specialized in psychiatry. On December 22, he was last seen leaving Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, his workplace.

"His vehicle was found at his residence in Leoni Township, but he has had no contact with his employer, family or friends," the BLDPS said in a statement on Dec. 25.

Recent severe weather has ravaged the Midwest and East Coast of the United States, leaving at least 55 people dead across the country, including 34 in New York's Erie County as of Dec. 28.

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