Update published Friday, May 16 at 11:15 a.m.:
A man from Cumming is still missing after last being seen on Wednesday, May 14, but authorities now say his kayak has been found.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office posted to social media Friday morning that a citizen found the kayak that is believed to belong to Dustin Louis Valencia, age 43. Valencia's vehicle was found parked at Little Ridge Park on the Forsyth County side of Lake Lanier Wednesday afternoon.
Valencia, a known kayaker according to authorities, was last seen by his children leaving his home on New Rutgers Walk on Wednesday. He was reported missing by his wife that afternoon after he did not pick their children up from school and efforts to contact him were unsuccessful.
The sheriff's office said Friday that they are working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Forsyth County Fire Department to search the area near where the kayak was found.
Original story published Thursday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m.:
Authorities are searching for a man from Cumming who reportedly went missing near Lake Lanier.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said Dustin Louis Valencia, age 43, was last seen on Wednesday, May 14. His wife, Jennifer Valencia, said the couple's children were the last to see Dustin when he left their home on New Rutgers Walk that day to have their car serviced.
"She advised that Dustin returned home around (1:00 p.m.) and then left in their black 2006 Honda Accord," the report said. "When Dustin failed to pick up their children from school at (3:00 p.m.,) Jennifer attempted to contact him by phone but received no response."
A phone tracking app was used to trace Valencia's last known location to an area of Samples Road just south of Buford Dam Road. Valencia, however, was not found in that area.
The Honda Accord he was driving was later found by authorities parked at Little Ridge Park, about a mile and a half north of the Samples Road location that had previously been searched.
"Due to concerns that Dustin may have gone kayaking, as he owns a silver inflatable kayak with yellow accents, deputies searched the nearby water and walked surrounding trails," the sheriff's office report said. "The search was unsuccessful."
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office officials said the area around the park was searched with on-foot deputies, boats and drones into the night Wednesday and then from morning until noon Thursday, but Valencia was still not located.
The sheriff's office has advised the public to report any sightings of Valencia's kayak, which they posted a photo of on their Facebook page.
The report issued by law enforcement did not indicate Valencia suffered from any mental health issues.
"Jennifer confirmed that Dustin does not suffer from any known medical condition or mental health issues, and there were no known threats of self-harm," the report said. "She stated that Dustin typically communicates with her regularly and always keeps her informed."
