Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council
Search and Rescue
Activated Under the Local Control of the Fairhaven Police Department Chief Michael J. Myers and Led by Control Chief George M. McNeil of the Somerset Police Department
UPDATE 3/18/21 2 p.m. – The missing man has been found safe.
FAIRHAVEN — Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers, who has activated the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (SEMLEC) Search and Rescue Unit, reports that local law enforcement officers continue to seek the public’s help in locating a man who has been missing since the afternoon of Wednesday, March 17.
The man, a New Bedford resident, has been missing since approximately 2 p.m. Wednesday and was last seen in the area Cushman Park. He is non-verbal with autism.
He was walking with a group of people in the park when he got separated from the group. He was last seen wearing a black puffy down jacket, gray sweatpants, beige shoes and possibly a black knit hat.
He is approximately 6-feet-2-inches tall with a medium build and weighs about 250 pounds. He has gray hair and a mustache.
Fairhaven residents are asked to thoroughly check their property for any signs of the man, including all outbuildings they may have on their property, enclosed porches and vehicles.
Mobile police units from the Fairhaven, Acushnet and Mattapoisett Police Departments and Massachusetts State Police canvassed the town overnight Wednesday and into Thursday, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.
Additional ground and sea assets assembled to continue a more extensive search at 6 a.m. Thursday.
The following agencies are currently assisting with the search: Fairhaven Police Department, Fairhaven Fire Department and call firefighters, Fairhaven Harbormaster, New Bedford Police Department Marine Unit, Bristol County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, SEMLEC Search & Rescue, SEMLEC Mobile Command Center, SEMLEC Dive Team, SEMLEC Bicycle Unit, Mass State Police Special Emergency Response Team, Mass State Police Air Wing, Mass Environmental Police and the Department of Conservation & Recreation.
The department would also like to thank the many volunteers from the community who assisted in searching the town Wednesday.
Anyone who locates the man or believes they may have information about his whereabouts is asked to immediately call the Fairhaven Police Department at 508-997-7421.
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