Man missing in Fremont Lake

Water search continues for Pinedale man

By Joy Ufford, jufford@pinedaleroundup.com
Posted 8/24/22

Thursday, Tip Top Search and Rescue volunteers continued to search for Richard “Rick” DeRuiter Zylker, 52, who was celebrating with the Ridley’s Family Market group. At some point people realized he disappeared from the surface, in Moosehead Bay, one of the farthest inlets to Fremont Lake, according to Sublette County Sheriff KC Lehr.

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Man missing in Fremont Lake

Water search continues for Pinedale man

Posted

UPDATE: Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.
The search for Rick DeRuiter Zylker continued throughout the Moose Head Bay area of Fremont Lake north of Pinedale Friday, but efforts were unsuccessful.

The Sublette County Sheriff's Office and Tip Top Search and Rescue will begin the search again Saturday, Aug. 27.

The public is asked to avoid the area to allow search operations to continue without risk of interference with equipment, like the sonar.
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SUBLETTE COUNTY – A Pinedale man who went swimming off a boat during an employee appreciation party on Fremont Lake Wednesday afternoon was presumed dead after he failed to resurface.

His body was not found by press time.

Thursday, Tip Top Search and Rescue volunteers continued to search for Richard “Rick” DeRuiter Zylker, 52, who was celebrating with the Ridley’s Family Market group. At some point people realized he disappeared from the surface, in Moosehead Bay, one of the farthest inlets to Fremont Lake, according to Sublette County Sheriff KC Lehr.

Thursday, Tip Top and others continued the search for the missing man with the group’s side-scan sonar boat, manned by John Linn. The search was based at Fremont Lake Campground’s upper boat ramp, which was closed to parking. The lake was not closed for public use.

Fremont Lake’s frigid water is usually 55 to 65 degrees and 200 to 300 feet deep in the bay, according to officials there.

Ridley’s store owner Mark Ridley, who was at the Pinedale store on Thursday, declined to comment out of consideration for Zylker’s fellow employees and family.

Although Zylker was still considered “missing” at press time, he is presumed to have drowned or died from as of yet unknown medical causes, said Sheriff Lehr.