A few dozen of Philip Patnaude’s family members and friends huddled together Sunday afternoon, their gazes cast toward the cold, murky water while the Chicago Police Marine Unit searched Belmont Harbor for the missing man.
The 28-year-old Chicagoan went missing early Saturday after a night out drinking with friends in the city’s East Lakeview neighborhood, family members said.
Patnaude was last seen a little after 2 a.m. in a cab near Wellington Avenue and Broadway, according to police. He took a cab to Belmont Harbor.
When Patnaude failed to return home, about 30 family members and friends set out to find him. Police with the underwater search and rescue unit joined the effort Sunday after they found what is believed to be Patnaude’s coat in the water just south of Belmont Avenue.
“We have been going through every avenue to try to find him,” said Colette Patnaude, the missing man’s sister, who came with her parents from their home in Downers Grove to organize the search.
Colette Patnaude, 23, described her brother as a nature enthusiast and adventure seeker.
“I think he wanted to go and look out at the water and take a walk,” she said.
At Patnaude’s home in Lakeview, small search parties came and went Sunday, breaking in shifts to eat frozen pizzas and meals from slow cookers.
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“He was loved,” said Barbara Moore, Patnaude’s aunt. “His friends came out of everywhere.”
Armed with missing-person fliers and maps, they searched an area bounded by Irving Park Road, Ashland Avenue, Fullerton Avenue and the lake.
“People have been looking in the alleys and construction sites,” Mark Levy, 29, said to several volunteers Sunday afternoon. “Bring water with you. If you find him, he is going to need water.”
Patnaude lives with his fiancee in the 3200 block of North Ashland Avenue. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in aeronautical engineering, and works for Sargent & Lundy in Chicago.
“We got engaged last June,” said Selena Nanthavong. “We are supposed to get married in October.”
Patnaude is white, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 175 pounds, according to police. He has blond hair, blue eyes and a light complexion. Patnaude was last seen wearing a black ski jacket, a dark purple button-down shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
Search efforts continued Sunday night. Authorities with the Chicago Police Marine Unit told family members that divers will keep searching the water through the night.
“They said they would be there until they find him,” Moore said.
Anyone with information was asked to call police at 312-744-8266.