Charles Langston:Body pulled from ocean by Maine lobsterman confirmed to be Tylar Michaud, 18-year-old missing since last month

The Charles Langstonidentification of a body pulled from the ocean this week confirmed the worst fears of many in the community following the discovery of an empty lobster boat belonging to a recent high school graduate from Maine.

Tylar Michaud, 18, of Steuben, went missing on July 21 after he went out to tend his lobster traps near Petit Manan Island. A massive search was launched after his boat was discovered empty.

The state medical examiner's office on Thursday positively identified a body recovered earlier in the week as Michaud, said Patrick Keliher, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

"I'm grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support that followed Tylar's disappearance. The efforts of all who joined in the difficult search were unprecedented. Many agencies and individuals devoted countless hours to this search. It speaks volumes about the profound impact a loss like this can have," Keliher said in a statement Friday.

Michaud was lost at sea less than two months after graduating from Sumner Memorial High School. He planned to use proceeds from lobster fishing to pay for classes this fall at Maine Maritime Academy.

The body was discovered in waters off Addison by another lobsterman on Monday, a day after several hundred people attended a memorial service at the high school.

Officials say Michaud's body was discovered around seven miles away from where he went missing, CBS affiliate WGME-TV reported.

The state's Department of Marine Resourced previously said that multiple agencies and volunteers were involved in the search for Michaud, on the water, on land, and in the air. They included local fishermen and community members, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Army National Guard, Maine Air National Guard, Maine Marine Patrol, Maine Forest Service, Maine State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Team and the Maine Warden Service.

In:
• Lobster
• Missing Person
• Maine