Missing Paulding teen's body found

By RICHARD JENKINS

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PAULDING — The multi-day search for a missing teen in the Paulding area ended Monday after his body was found in the woods near his home.

Officials with the Ontonagon County Sheriff’s Department and County Emergency Management made the announcement late Monday afternoon, following the notification of Cam Besonen’s family.

“Our community mourns the loss of this young man,” Ontonagon County Sheriff Dale Rantala said in the announcement. “Rescuers had been committed to finding him and worked tirelessly through the operation. Something like this is truly heartbreaking.”

No information regarding the circumstances of how Besonen, 17, died, or who found the body, was released in the announcement.

Besonen, whose family said was autistic and non-verbal, was last seen Friday. He was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and jeans, clothes that don’t offer much protection in cold weather. Jill Keeley-Besonen said her son had no sense of direction or how to yell for help.

“Cam’s body was found about an hour ago,” Keeley-Besonen posted on her Facebook page Monday evening. “Thank you all who participated in the search. He is with Jesus!”

The three-day search for Besonen involved more than 400 volunteers, along with local, state and tribal agencies, who battled snow and freezing temperatures; along with an air search using aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard, Michigan State Police and Houghton Wing Civil Air Patrol that helped search the rugged, timbered terrain for the teen.

Other residents and area businesses throughout the area provided support for search areas.

Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.