Following a brief, but intense search, 60-year-old Jerry Bayak, a resident of Ada Township, was reported to have been found safe last night. The Kent County Sheriff's Office provided confirmation that Bayak, who had been missing since Monday night, is now back at his home, though details regarding his whereabouts during the period of his absence were not disclosed. The news comes as a relief to both his family and the community that was urged to assist in the search.
The initial call for public aid to locate Bayak had been made earlier that day. The Sheriff's Office had asked locals to thoroughly review footage from their security cameras in hopes of tracing Bayak's last known steps. The information from WWMT indicates the urgency with which the authorities were trying to piece together the missing man's last movements. Bayak was last seen at his family's Bridge Walk Court SE residence near Ada Drive SE around 9 p.m., and his sudden disappearance was characterized as "very out of character" for him, Detective Dykgraaf told WZZM13.
Bayak's description was widely circulated throughout the community during the search. The Sheriff's Office described him as a white, bald man, standing at approximately 5'11" with a stocky build, to aid the public in identifying him. No details on what he might have been wearing at the time of his disappearance were available, which potentially complicated the search. This description was a focal point in the community's collective effort to aid in his safe return.
