Fernando Ortiz, reported missing on December 25, 2025, in Troup County, has been found dead in West Point Lake. The Troup County Sheriff’s Office says the cause of death is not yet known.
What’s Happening: Deputies say Ortiz was last seen on Liberty Hill Road on December 25. He was reported missing that day.
A team from Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue found his body in West Point Lake on January 3, 2026, around 1:45 p.m.
What’s Important: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will perform an autopsy to determine how Ortiz died.
The sheriff’s office says the case is still under active investigation.
What We Know: According to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office;
- Ortiz was last seen on Liberty Hill Road on December 25, 2025.
- A missing person report was filed that same day.
- Local and state crews searched by land, air, and water but did not find him during the first search.
- On January 3, 2026, Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue located his body in West Point Lake.
The Search: Search teams used ground crews, aircraft, and boats as they looked for him after he was reported missing.
The Timeline:
- December 25, 2025: Ortiz is last seen on Liberty Hill Road and reported missing to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.
- December 25, 2025: Agencies search by land, air, and water but do not find him.
- Late December 2025 to early January 2026: Investigators continue to follow leads in the missing person case.
- January 3, 2026, about 1:45 p.m.: A Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue team finds Ortiz’s body in West Point Lake.
- After January 3, 2026: The GBI is set to conduct an autopsy as part of the ongoing investigation.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
