Michael W. Schmidt, 59, disappeared on the afternoon of June 10, 2018, while hunting for arrowheads with a friend in heavily wooded ground near the 7600 block of Vigal Road at Brush Creek in Pawnee, Illinois. The two briefly separated but stayed within sight; Michael acknowledged his friend’s signal to return to the vehicle and never arrived. He had serious health issues, including a history of cancer and a tracheal stoma requiring a breathing tube, raising concern he could have suffered a medical emergency and been unable to call for help.

Within hours of his disappearance the area was hit by about six inches of rain, swelling Brush Creek to ten to twelve feet and flooding timber and fields up to 100–200 yards from the creek with two to three feet of water in places. Search efforts have been extensive—deputies, K-9 teams, a cadaver dog, divers, 40 volunteers from the Illinois Search and Rescue Council and other local responders—yet Michael has not been found and the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office keeps the file open. His wife Tina said she lives with the daily agony of unanswered questions and wants his remains found to bring closure.

If anyone was in the Vigal Road or Brush Creek area on June 10, 2018, or has information about Michael’s movements that day, can you share what you know?