UPDATE: The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has released an updated statement:
“Yesterday our office released a statement regarding the discovery of the body of missing person Fernando Ortiz who was last seen on December 25.
In that release, we named a group of searchers who were in fact on site assisting with the search. It was not until after the release that we learned there were additional individual search groups also assisting with the search. It was never our intention to leave anyone out who contributed with the effort to bring closure to the family of Mr. Ortiz.
That being said, as to not leave anyone out, we appreciate everyone that gave of their time on Saturday with the search.
While there are still many unanswered questions as to the death of Mr. Ortiz, some of which we hope will be answered with the results of the autopsy.
Our agency has always prided itself on being transparent with you the citizens and the families of victims. As information in this case transpires, it will be shared.”
If you have information on this case you are asked to call TCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division at 706-883-1616
Two volunteer organizations helped locate a Troup County man deceased after he had been missing for more than a week.
Fernando Ortiz was reported missing on Christmas Day from Liberty Hill Road. Ortiz has been searched for by local and state officials for multiple days, using ground, air, and water resources, while Troup County Sheriff’s Office investigators followed up on multiple leads.
On January 3, 2026, volunteer organizations, Exploring with the Nug and Adam Brown Adventures with Rapid Compassion Collective Inc., conducted a search of West Point Lake using their custom remote-controlled sonar boat.
After two hours of searching, Ortiz’s body was found. Troup County Sheriff’s Office said the cause of death was not immediately known, and an autopsy has been scheduled.
“We showed up today with the intention of doing what we always try to do — help bring answers to families who are left waiting,” Exploring with the Nug said. “This sadly marks the second missing person we’ve found in the last two weeks using this technology. While we’re grateful it worked the way it was designed to, the outcome is never something we hope for.
Shortly after the discovery, authorities with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release stating a team from Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue located Ortiz’s body. Exploring with the Nug organization said that information was inaccurate, adding that several news outlets are now reporting inaccurate details. According to the organizations, they worked with Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue who notified the sheriff’s office, who responded to the scene with the dive team to recover Ortiz’s body.
“At the end of the day, this has never been about recognition or ego. It’s about finding the missing and bringing answers to families,” the organization said. “But I think it’s fair to say that frustration sets in when the facts aren’t right and the people doing the work are overlooked. We’ll keep showing up, we’ll keep searching, and we’ll keep doing what we do.”
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has not made additional public comments about the volunteer organizations, other than stating, “We were under the assumption everyone there was working as a team and not individuals working independently.”
The investigation into the death of Fernando Ortiz remains ongoing.
