Michigan Physician Reported Missing Found Dead At Jackson County Frozen Pond

The body of a physician from Michigan who was reported missing the past days has been found at a frozen pond in Jackson County.

The deceased was identified as Bolek Payan whose body was recovered by divers at a pond located near the residence of Payan at around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

"After not locating anything on land, holes were cut in the ice of a pond on the property yesterday and divers located Dr. Payan's body under the ice today," the Blackman-Leoni Public Safety (BLDPS) stated.

Payan was last seen leaving the Henry Ford Allegiance Health Hospital in Jackson on Thursday, Dec. 22. His car was found at his home but the doctor who specialized in psychiatry did not return to work or had any contact with his friends.

Also, the Michigan doctor was last spotted leaving his home on Thursday via password-protected security cameras that detectives were able to eventually gain access to on Monday, Dec. 26.

Before his boy was located, police added that they searched his home with K-9 dogs, drones and on foot.

“Detectives believe Dr. Payan would have been deceased, prior to when he was reported missing, due to the weather conditions on the day that he left his residence and the fact that he was in the water,” the department added.

According to a friend, Nicole Keiser, Payan had dropped off his dogs with her at around 8:00 a.m. on Thursday. However, she felt it was a bit odd that Payan never picked up the dogs that night, believing it was out of character for him to do so, WILX-TV reported.

The Jackson County Medical Examiner will be conducting an autopsy and toxicology testing to further aid in the investigation of Payan’s death.

His death comes amid severe weather conditions that have swept the Midwest and East Coast of the U.S. as of late, including a historic winter storm that dumped up to 50 inches of snow in western New York over the holiday weekend. The storm has killed at least 50 people, including 27 in Buffalo.