Elgin OPP searching Port Bruce for missing 62-year-old man

Elgin OPP search the Port Bruce area for a missing 62-year-old male on Wednesday, Oct. 7. (AE/Veronica Reiner)

The Elgin Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are searching for a 62-year-old male who went missing in Port Bruce on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Michael Renton was last seen leaving his residence for a walk and a smoke at around 10 p.m. last night, said OPP Constable Troy Carlson. When he did not return, his family became concerned and reported him missing to the Elgin OPP just before 11 p.m.
“He’s known to walk along the pier,” noted Cst. Carlson. At the time, he was wearing jeans and a black Columbia jacket.
Elgin OPP called in the Malahide Fire Department at 11:23 p.m. Malahide brought out their 25-member technical rescue team, and used a drone with thermal imaging to assist with the search.
“We put our drone up to try to clear certain areas that were inaccessible, such as the other side of the breakwater,” said Malahide Fire Chief Brent Smith. He noted the waves last night reached roughly eight-feet high.
Officers have done a door-to-door canvass in Port Bruce to find out if anyone had seen him, as well as searching backyards. Malahide Fire Department cleared the area at about 2:21 a.m., and Elgin OPP departed at around 3 a.m., and then continued searching in the morning.
All-terrain vehicles and an OPP helicopter were brought in to assist with the search.
“Any shoreline beside the harbour here, when it’s rough like this, can be very dangerous,” said Chief Smith.