Search for Missing Hunter Comes to Sad End; Body Found in Walsh County

The search for a missing hunter from Grand Forks has come to an end.

After three days, searchers found the body of 45–year–old Travis Vorachek.

Close to 200 searchers took part in the search and this time, left with an answer.

Despite extending today’s search to a 15 mile radius, 45-year-old Travis Vorachek was found just a quarter mile from his ATV.

I spoke with the Walsh County Sheriff and he says finding Travis’s body came with a mix of emotions.

It’s been three days since anyone has heard from Travis Vorachek, until today.

“It was a real blessing for the family to find him today. It wasn’t under the circumstances we would like but it will bring closure to the family,” says Sheriff Ron Jurgens of Walsh County.

Travis last used his phone around 9:30 Friday night.He was preparing for hunting in the morning with his dad.

But when his dad went to meet him, Travis was no where to be found. Instead, his dad found his rolled over ATV and his pickup with his cell phone in it.

It’s unclear how or why Travis made it a quarter mile away from his belongings, but walking across this terrain, especially at night, is quite a challenge.

“We’re out in the middle of nowhere. There’s no street lights. No street lights in the place where we’re at and you can go miles before you find a farm yard with a street light,” says Sheriff Jurgens.

“Searchers found the body covered in cattails in water. They say he wasn’t wearing any orange. They say his clothes just blended in, making it difficult to find the body.”

While it’s expected Vorachek was familiar with the land as it is owned by his father, the sheriff estimates over half the land is covered with water.

“Somebody with darker clothing is very hard to find and then throw in being in a slough with cat tails that made it much more difficult,” says Sheriff Jurgens.

But after three days and hundreds of volunteers later, Travis’s family finally has an answer.

“It’s mixed emotions that the searchers have about finding him. It hopefully will bring closure to the family but at the same time Travis is most likely not with us anymore,” says Sheriff Jurgens.

The Sheriff wants to thank all the volunteers who have helped in the search.

Residents from five counties all played an active role. The Sheriff says he even received calls from Minnesota asking how they can help.