A father of two has been found dead more than a week after vanishing during a family trip to a Michigan resort after telling his teenage daughters that he was stepping out to "grab something from the car" but never returned. The body of 52-year-old Robert Loren Bacon was recovered from the Cass River in Frankenmuth around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Bacon, 52, had traveled to the Bavarian Inn resort in Frankenmuth on December 27 to join his daughters, aged 15 and 13, along with his mother, for a family getaway, according to his ex-wife, Melissa McLenna, who spoke to McClatchy News. He was last spotted near the resort's pool.
Vanished Suddenly and Now Found Dead
Bacon checked into the hotel at 6:40 p.m. and was seen on security footage carrying his belongings to his room. He then made his way toward the pool to meet his children but told them that he needed to get something from his car first.
"[He] was going to his car to get something and was coming back to the pool area to join his family," McLenna said. "He never returned to his family at the pool."
Despite Bacon saying he was heading to his car, surveillance footage showed a different story. "[Investigators] have video showing him going to the fun center after leaving the hotel room, never coming back to his car," McLenna told WNEM, noting that some exits don't have cameras. "They don't have any video showing he exited the building."
Bacon was officially reported missing on December 30, prompting McLenna and other concerned family members to turn to social media to raise awareness about his disappearance.
Dive teams recovered Bacon's body from the Cass River near Heritage Park at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, as confirmed by the Frankenmuth Police Department.
"The preliminary cause of death appears to be drowning, but a final determination will be made by the Saginaw County Medical Examiner's Office," police said.
"The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Bacon's death is ongoing."
Grim Discovery
McLenna said that Bacon's silver sedan remained parked in the resort lot on Wednesday, but police found no signs of foul play inside during their search. The police also confirmed that his keys, wallet, and phone were with him when he went missing.
However, McLenna noted that his phone had been turned off since he was last seen.
After learning of her ex-husband's death, McLenna shared a post on Facebook on Sunday to mourn Bacon's death.
"I have no words to describe how we feel. We are so sad. I just want to say thank you to everyone that helped look for Robert," she wrote.
"Thank you to all that prayed for us and that are continuing to pray for us."
The Bavarian Inn resort in Frankenmuth is located about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.
