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DNR looking around Lake Freeman for Sean Matti
Updated: Monday, 04 Jul 2011, 6:39 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 04 Jul 2011, 12:08 PM EDT
LAKE FREEMAN, Ind. (WLFI) - According to Department Of Natural Resources officer Matt Tholen, an active search is underway for a Purdue University student last seen near Lake Freeman Sunday afternoon.
The missing man has been identified as Sean Alan Matti of Shoreview, Minnesota. He is a senior at Purdue University and a running back for the football team.
For Lake Freeman regulars this Fourth of July was subdued as the lake was flooded with officers searching for 22 year-old Purdue Football Player Sean Matti.
"We started seeing the sheriff's deputies come in early this morning. And we knew something was different. Because even last year after the Fourth of July it wasn't his much going on," said Joe Joyce, a vacationer on Lake Freeman.
"I live up in Chicago, come down here every once and awhile. And this is not a common thing, it's not something you ever want to hear when it does happen. And when it does, it's just heart breaking," said Shannon Smith, another Freeman vacationer.
DNR officials say they were contacted around 11:30 p.m. Sunday night. Matti was last seen swimming in Lake Freeman in the Snow Ditch area near a home on Hambridge Drive around 5 p.m.
DNR officers and the Carroll County Sheriff's Office are continuing their search for Matti at this hour. Divers performed a close-to-shore search by foot Sunday night until they had to call it off due to darkness. The search resumed this morning with the use of a sonar boat.
"They didn't locate anything, that matches anything, that possibly resembles a body. So the divers didn't go in. Right now we're doing a land based search with multiple agencies. Actually my understanding is we've got some dogs coming up to hopefully help with the search," said Matt Tholen, an officer with the DNR.
DNR Officer Matt Tholen said officers are still investigating whether Matti walked off, or had gotten into an argument with someone at the party, for now though he said he's still hopeful. When asked if Tholen believed Matti was still alive he said, "Right now we can only hope."
Matti is 22 years old. He was last seen wearing gray shorts with the number one on them. He was not wearing a shirt at the time. Witnesses say Matti had been drinking at the time he disappeared. Matti is six feet tall, weighing approximately 220 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on Sean Matti's whereabouts should call the Carroll County Sheriff's Dispatch at (765)564-2413.
This story will be updated.
Seems like very off season or so we have one of these kinds of tragedies affecting an athlete.
This sucks. Purdue has a couple of players from Daytona Mainland. My sympathies out to the Boilermakers.
Dang.