Body of missing Blair man recovered at DeSoto

News Channel Nebraska and WOWT

The body of a man reported missing more than a week ago was found in the DeSoto National Wildlife Preserve.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said that the body of Ronald Harvey, 58, of Blair, had been recovered Thursday from the Nebraska side of the wildlife refuge.

A Sheriff’s Office spokesman said an autopsy will be ordered.

He had last been seen Wednesday, May 3; his family reported him missing the following day. Authorities said last week that they were able to ping Harvey’s phone in two locations.

Authorities from around the area have since been conducting daily searches near the preserve. The initial search caused a portion of the preserve to be closed to the public for a few days.

Dozens of people and several agencies have participated in searches around wildlife areas around that area, where Harvey was thought to have gone looking for mushrooms. His car had been found on the Nebraska side of Desoto Bend, prompting land-search efforts to be focused there initially, but authorities had turned their focus to the Iowa side on Tuesday and more on the Missouri River.

Authorities said more than 100 people were out searching for Harvey during the first days of the search.