Vermont man remains missing after three-day river search in Dalton

Mar. 22—An intensive, three-day search of the Connecticut River in Dalton for a missing Vermont man was suspended late Thursday after dive teams from Vermont and New Hampshire turned up no clues.

Russell Matheson, 52, of Lunenburg, was reported missing on March 18, according to a news release from New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Two days earlier, authorities were notified that a man may have gone into the river in the early-morning hours of March 16, but rescuers found no sign of the man that day.

After Matheson was reported missing, the Essex County Sheriff's Office deployed a team that used side-scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle to search the river. Later that day, authorities received additional information that Matheson was likely in the river.

New Hampshire Fish and Game divers conducted an intensive search on Wednesday, searching the section of the river with the highest likelihood of finding Matheson, or evidence that he was in the water.

The dive team's efforts continued on Thursday, with assistance from the Vermont State Police dive team.

"Even with freezing temperatures and driving winds, dive teams along with the boat operators spent hours in the adverse weather in an attempt to bring closure for the Matheson family," Fish and Game said in a statement.

"At this point, the search has been suspended as the primary search area has been exhausted by use of sonar and divers," the agency said Friday.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Vermont State Police at 802-748-3111, or leave an anonymous tip online at: vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.