Vermont: Body found in Lake Champlain identified as photographer George Ruhe
The body found in Lake Champlain Thursday has been identified by Vermont State Police as local photographer George Ruhe.
Ruhe, 67, of Brattleboro and Wethersfield, Conn., died of accidental drowning, according to police on Friday afternoon.
Ruhe was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after failing to appear for meetings earlier in the week, and his vehicle was found parked at the marina in Charlotte.
According to a press release, the last known reporting of Ruhe was a text message he sent to a friend at 11 a.m. on Sunday that indicated he was rowing his dinghy out to his sailboat, which was moored at Point Bay Marina on Lake Champlain.
The State Police Dive Team set out Thursday morning to locate Ruhe and the dinghy, including with the use of sonar. The U.S. Coast Guard also assisted. At about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the crew of a fixed-wing aircraft from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations unit assisting in the search located what appeared to be the missing dinghy in a swampy, shallow area in the south end of Town Farm Bay.
Ruhe’s photography appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Associated Press and The Washington Post.
Ruhe has also been involved in programs at the In-Sight Photography Project in Brattleboro.
“The disappearance of George has been very distressing for us all,” stated Victoria Davis, In-Sight’s executive director, in an email to the Reformer. “He has only been with us a short time, but we’ve loved getting to know his wicked sense of humor, commitment to social justice, and incredible stories about his work as a photographic journalist.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Williston at 802-878-7111.
photo/ Gerd Altmann via pixabay
