The search for two brothers whose abandoned boat was found Thursday on Strawberry reservoir continued throughout Friday with no sign of the missing men.
The men — identified to FOX 13 as 70-year-old James “Jim” Gardiner, of Salem, and 61-year-old Mark Gardiner, of Pleasant Grove — were fishing at the reservoir. Their boat, with the engine still running, was found in the Ladders Day Use Area by a visitor, who alerted authorities about 2:30 p.m. When park rangers were unable to locate the brothers, the Wasatch County Search and Rescue team was called in.
“We have no indication of anything suspicious. … It seems to have been an accident,” said Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby.
Crews have been searching on foot, on boats and in helicopters, but there was no sign of the brothers. Sonar technology is being used to scan the reservoir.
The temperature of the water in Strawberry Reservoir was 66 degrees overnight Thursday.
“A person can live through that, but it is cold,” Rigby said.
He said it’s unclear if the brothers were wearing life jackets. One or two are missing from the boat, but it’s possible they were left at the men’s homes.
The northeast portion of the reservoir is closed while crews search, Rigby said.
FOX 13 reported the crews suspended the search Friday and would resume Saturday morning.
---
Editor’s note: FOX 13 and The Salt Lake Tribune are content-sharing partners.
