Search for missing Ronan man scaled back

The search for a missing Ronan man has been scaled back.

According to Lake County Sheriff Don Bell, the Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Search and Rescue have scaled back search efforts for Allen Ray, who went missing Aug. 1 in the Swartz Lake area.

Over the course of the last two weeks multiple search operations have been undertaken and exhausted, according to Sheriff Bell. It included several hours-long ground searches using dozens of Sheriff’s Office and search and rescue personnel, air searches by Two Bear Air, searches of nearby waterways, and multiple search dog teams from Flathead County’s SAR units.

Bell said no sign of Ray has been located and Lake County detectives have conducted further investigation and continue to do so.

Multiple interviews have been conducted with individuals whom Allen had contact with, and others who were in the Swartz Lake area on the day he went missing.

“We believe there may be more people out there who were in the area that morning and early afternoon and we would like to talk to them as well,” Bell wrote in a press release. “If you were in the area on this day, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 406.883.7301 and ask to speak to a Deputy.”