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UTAH LAKE — The search continued Monday for West Valley fisherman Tam Huynh, who went missing near Utah Lake since Saturday. But the second full day of searching brought no new information.
At this point, the rescue mission has turned into a recovery mission, according to officials. They believe three days in the water is too long for the man to have survived.
The 37-year-old man's boat was recovered Saturday, found still running and with the throttle pushed up half way. That led authorities to believe he fell out of the boat while it was moving.
Water and weather conditions have made search and rescue efforts difficult, forcing crews to call off operations several times Monday. The area they are searching, roughly 1 mile off shore northwest of Lindon Boat Harbor, is littered with debris, old fence lines and tree stumps.
Two divers were also almost stranded a "squall" kicked up before they could get out of the area.
"The wind is a real hazard on this lake," said Sgt. Eldon Packer, with Utah County Search and Rescue. "It's very shallow. The waves come up quite heavy."
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Search crews look for missing fisherman
Search crews took to the sky late Saturday afternoon and to the Lindon harbor area of Utah Lake to try to find an avid fisherman whose boat was discovered abandoned in some reeds.Murky water also made the search difficult for divers. When the wind did die down, a plane searched from the air, weaving a grid like pattern, searching for anything that might lead searchers to the man's location.
The search will continue until dark and pick up again Tuesday, officials said.
Family and friends came and went throughout the day Monday, at times with binoculars out watching the search teams.
"They're struggling," Packer said. "This is a very tough time for them. We're hoping today will turn something up and we can give the family some closure."
One family member who did not wish to be identified said they are "shocked" this has happened. He said Huynh was an experienced fisherman who came out on Utah Lake often.
