Sandy Rutherford’s body found

Sandy Rutherford. -Nancy Parks photo

Family and friends of Sandy Rutherford have some closure today with the confirmation that a body found in West Lake on Wednesday is the 54-year-old Wellington resident.

His body was located on West Lake Wednesday afternoon by a local resident operating his air boat. A post-mortem examination was conducted Thursday.  The cause of death is not suspicious.

Gordon Alexander “Sandy” Rutherford was last seen Oct. 19. The OPP began the search  that night after he had not returned home from an afternoon of fishing on West Lake, Wellington.

Search efforts were assisted by numerous volunters, many being friends and family members. Resources involved in the search included members of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre from CFB Trenton, the Wellington Coast Guard Auxiliary, OPP Marine officers, OPP Under Water Search and Recovery Unit (USRU), OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) members, OPP K-9 and members of the OPP-Prince Edward County detachment.

His small Zodiac boat was found overturned near Cat Island. The search efforts were concluded Nov. 5 and had resumed this week.

Rutherford had attended Pumpkinfest activities in Wellington that day with his grandchildren and also helped clean up, as he often did, with the ladies at the chicken and biscuit luncheon.

West Lake was calm when he left for fishing, a friend said, but the fear was something happened in the moments when the thunder, lightning and rain storm came up so quickly.

“Friends combing the shoreline so desperately want to find him, but at the same time, they don’t want to be the ones to find him. He is so well loved it is too much to bear. He was talking regularly about retiring from P&G and was starting to count the days,” the friend said.

The Rutherford family has expressed gratitude for the ongoing support and volunteer search efforts by local residents. A prayer vigil and a service were held in the fall.