SOLVED After 9-Days: Found Remains of Man Missing on Christmas Day (Fernando Ortiz)

Remains Found After Nine-Day Search: Community Volunteers Help Bring Closure in Christmas Disappearance of Fernando OrtizNine days after 34-year-old Fernando Ortiz vanished on Christmas Day, his body was found submerged in the cold, shallow waters of West Point Lake — less than 20 feet from where his truck had been discovered, still running, with the driver’s door open and his dog sitting inside.

The discovery brought a painful but long-awaited answer to a case that had unsettled the LaGrange and Troup County community since December 25. It also highlighted the growing role of civilian search-and-recovery volunteers who use sonar technology to assist families and law enforcement when official searches stall.

“This is the part nobody wants,” said one searcher quietly at the scene. “But finding someone is better than never knowing.”

A disappearance that raised immediate questions

Ortiz was last seen around 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. According to family members, he had gone to Liberty Hill Park, a familiar spot where he often fished. When he did not return home, relatives began calling his phone and searching the area themselves.

Later that afternoon, Ortiz’s pickup truck was found parked near the boat ramp at West Point Lake. The engine was still running. The driver’s door stood open. His dog remained inside the vehicle, unharmed.

Ortiz was nowhere to be seen.

To investigators and family alike, the scene was deeply unsettling. There were no signs of a struggle, no obvious explanation for why Ortiz would leave his vehicle in that condition, and no immediate clues pointing to where he had gone.

Local authorities launched a search of the surrounding area, focusing on the shoreline, nearby woods, and the lake itself. Dive teams were deployed, but murky water, submerged debris, and tree stumps complicated efforts.

As days passed with no sign of Ortiz, hope began to fade.

Volunteers with sonar step in

Into that uncertainty stepped Jeremy Sides and Adam Brown, members of a volunteer dive and sonar search group known for assisting in missing-person cases across the country. What began as a hobby cleaning waterways has evolved into a mission: helping families find answers when loved ones disappear near water.

“I came here to try to bring closure,” Sides said upon arriving in LaGrange. “That’s always the goal.”

Using boats and remote-controlled sonar equipment, the team began methodically scanning the waters near Liberty Hill Park, paying particular attention to the area around the boat ramp — where Ortiz’s truck had been found.

Water levels in the lake were unusually low, a factor that both helped and hindered the search. While shallower depths made scanning easier, exposed stumps, logs, tires, and rocks created countless false images on sonar screens.

“When you’re doing this, everything looks suspicious at first,” one volunteer explained. “Your job is to figure out what doesn’t belong.”

A shape that didn’t fit

After hours of scanning debris with no results, a sonar image near the opposite side of the boat ramp caught the team’s attention. At first glance, it appeared to be just another oddly shaped rock — common in the area.

But the outline was unusual.

“Some shots looked like a rock,” one searcher said. “Other angles looked… human.”

The object sat in only five to seven feet of water, remarkably close to shore. Live sonar scans showed inconsistent shapes, and bubbles appeared near the object when the boat passed overhead.

The team repositioned and took another look.

Moments later, using a pole to gently probe the area, they made contact.

“I got something,” a volunteer said quietly.

Seconds later came confirmation.

“We found him.”

Confirmation and restraint

The volunteers immediately marked the location and stopped further contact, careful not to disturb the scene. Law enforcement was notified, and family members — who were nearby — were approached with caution and compassion.

“We confirmed it’s definitely a body,” one searcher said. “We don’t know if it’s him yet, but we know we found someone.”

The body was positioned upright in the water, partially submerged, blending into the surroundings in a way that explained why earlier searches had missed it. From above, it looked like just another rock along the lakebed.

Sheriff’s deputies and a dive team responded to recover the remains and begin the official investigation.

Authorities later confirmed that the body was that of Fernando Ortiz.

A community seeks answers

While the discovery brought closure, it also raised difficult questions. How did Ortiz end up in the water so close to shore? Why was his truck left running, with the door open and his dog inside? Was it an accident, a medical emergency, or something else?

As of this writing, investigators have not publicly released a final determination on the manner of death. Officials said there were no immediate signs of foul play, but the case remains under review pending autopsy results.

Family members, devastated by the loss, expressed gratitude to everyone who helped search.

“Not knowing is torture,” a relative said. “As much as this hurts, at least we have him back.”

The hidden danger of shallow water

Search experts say Ortiz’s case underscores a troubling reality: bodies can remain hidden in surprisingly shallow water, especially in areas cluttered with natural debris.

“People assume divers would spot something right away,” said one volunteer. “But when a body blends in with rocks and trees, it can be almost invisible.”

Low visibility, cold temperatures, and fluctuating water levels can further complicate searches, even when the area seems obvious in hindsight.

A mission built on compassion

For the volunteer searchers, the emotional toll is heavy but necessary.

“We don’t celebrate these moments,” Sides said. “There’s no victory here. But there is purpose.”

Across the country, similar civilian teams have helped solve dozens of cases, often working alongside law enforcement or stepping in when official resources are stretched thin. Their reward, they say, is giving families something priceless: answers.

Remembering Fernando Ortiz

As the investigation continues, friends and family remember Fernando Ortiz as a loving dog owner, an avid fisherman, and a man who found peace by the water — the same place where his life came to a tragic end.

A memorial has begun to grow near the boat ramp at Liberty Hill Park, with flowers, candles, and handwritten notes from community members who never met Ortiz but were moved by his story.

Nine days after he disappeared, Fernando Ortiz was found.

It was not the ending anyone wanted — but for those who loved him, it was the end of the waiting.