GREEN LAKE COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) – We’re learning new details about the search for two men in northeast Wisconsin.

One for a kayaker in Big Green Lake, the other for a boater in the Bay of Green Bay. Both are supported by a nonprofit organization that specializes in deep-water recovery operations.

Keith Cormican founded his nonprofit organization “Bruce’s Legacy” in 2013 in honor of his brother Bruce, who drowned in Robinson Creek in 1995.

“To date, we have recovered 58 drowning victims, and most of them would still be there if we hadn’t found them,” said Cormican, director of Bruce’s Legacy.

Its goal is to help families recover after a tragic water accident and to assist local authorities who do not have the equipment needed to search in deep waters.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll contacted Cormican on Monday to assist in the search for a 44-year-old Watertown man last seen on Big Green Lake. His kayak, life jacket, fishing rod and tackle box were found.

“We have officers at our docks alerting everyone using the lake and asking them to look. If they see anything, they should call us,” said Sheriff Podoll.

Cormican is also supporting the family of Bill Salnik. The 32-year-old Little Suamico man disappeared in Green Bay last month. His sailboat and the bodies of his two young children were found south of Chambers Island, but Salnik is still missing.

Each search brings its own challenges, but the goal of providing closure to families remains the same.

“It means a lot to me. I know how desperate the families are right now,” Cormican said. “I meet them and talk to them and in many cases I deal with them every day, so yeah, it’s just very rewarding.”

As the holiday weekend approaches, Sheriff Podoll reminds everyone to be careful on the water and always wear their life jackets.

“That’s what we’re emphasizing,” Podoll said. “We want people to have fun and enjoy their free time, but a life jacket. That’s why it’s called a life jacket, because it could save your life.”

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