Ground search suspended, Cascade Lake search continues for missing man in Cook County

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has suspended the ground search for missing man Gene Adam Doherty, citing challenging terrain, limited resources, and a lack of results from search and rescue operations.

Doherty, 40, has been missing since July 1 when he left his mother’s home near Silver Bay, Minn. His vehicle, a 2009 Ford Edge, was found in Cook County on July 11, facing south on Brule Lake Rd near the intersection of The Grade.

Since discovering the vehicle, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Search and Rescue, U.S. Forest Service, St. Louis County Search and Rescue, Tom Crossmon of Crossmon Consulting, and other officials have assisted with search and rescue efforts.

Authorities have been focusing search and rescue efforts on nearby 451-acre Cascade Lake after a detection dog pinpointed Doherty’s scent at the public boat landing. Crews have used motorboats and side-scan sonar to scour the shoreline and lake in search of Doherty.

“We’ve had a great search and rescue group,” said Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen. “They give it everything.”

Despite nearly seven days of search efforts, authorities have yet to find Doherty. Given the circumstances, Eliasen said, “We have to suspend the ground search.”

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office will continue searching on Cascade Lake every day until Tuesday, July 22, when crews will reassess and “maybe try something else,” Eliasen said.

Cook County Sheriff’s Office K9 Eddy searching on Cascade Lake | Photo by Cook County Sheriff’s Office

“We’re going to keep it up as long as we can, as long as resources hold out, and as long as we can get people to do it,” he said.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with Doherty’s family throughout the search efforts to provide updates. Eliasen said Doherty’s family visited the area on Wednesday and walked in the immediate vicinity searching for Doherty.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen on Wednesday, July 16, live on Daybreak for the latest on search and rescue efforts. The audio from the interview is below, the search and rescue portion of the interview begins at 7 minutes. 

Kalli Hawkins July 18, 2025