BELLEVUE, Ky. — Police have suspended their search for a missing man believed to have gone into the Ohio River, seven days after he was reported missing.
Bellevue police said Sunday evening that after seven straight days of searching the Ohio River, Boone County Water Rescue is suspending its efforts — but those efforts will resume "if any new evidence comes to light," police said.
Mark Bertram is still missing, one week after he was reported missing at 2 a.m. the morning of October 27.
Police searched for him throughout Sunday and, at 4 p.m., contacted additional agencies to help with the search, including a tracking canine from the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
Bellevue police said the canine tracked from Bertram's home to the banks of the Ohio River, and Boone County Water Rescue was called in to search the nearby waters.
"There's a lot of things we don't know, we're not 100% certain why he would've left his house, why he would've left his stuff there at the house," said Chief Jon McClain, Bellevue Police.
The search again resumed at 3 a.m. Monday morning, when more agencies joined, including four search canines from Pendleton and Grant counties. Those canines tracked a scent from Bertram's home to the banks of the Ohio River, all within 100 yards of one another, in the same location the Boone County canine tracked Sunday.
"At this point of the investigation, we are fairly positive that Mr. Bertram entered the Ohio River at the dead end of Lafayette Avenue and his condition and whereabouts are unknown," reads a press release from Bellevue Police.
Boone County Water Rescue has attempted to use sonar to search the waters nearby, but those searches have not shown anything, Bellevue police said. Water rescue crews plan to re-enter the river around noon Monday to try searching a larger area of the Ohio River.
Bertram disappeared without his walking cane, his cell phone and his wallet, which were all found at his home.
"We know he had some hip issues and he had some pain with that, but we don't know why he would've left and we know he couldn't have gone too far," added McClain.
Bertram stands roughly 5 feet 8 inches tall, has white hair and walks with a noticeable limp from a hip injury, Bellevue police said. Family told officers that Bertram changed his clothes before leaving home, so they cannot provide a description other than that he was wearing brown loafers.
Anyone who sees Bertram has been advised to call 911 or the Campbell County Dispatch Center at 859.292.3622.
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