'You never know until you try': local nonprofit searching for missing boaters

As the search for a missing kayaker in Green Lake enters its second week, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit says they aren’t giving up.

• Bruce's Legacy works on water rescues with law enforcement and victims' families
• The nonprofit is continuing to search for a missing kayaker and a missing boater
• Video shows more on the organization's efforts

Bruce’s Legacy is a nonprofit that works with law enforcement and families in water search and rescue efforts.

"To be able to locate that victim and give them back to the family, it means a lot," said founder Keith Cormican.

Cormican started the nonprofit after losing his brother, a firefighter.

"He drowned while in operation of trying to recover a drowning victim," Cormican said.

He created Bruce’s Legacy in 2013 to help other families not only in Wisconsin, but around the world using advanced sonar technology.

"[The families are] going to be the worst tragedy of their lives," Cormican said. "And then not having a body is is just tremendously stressful and there's a lot of legal issues that they need the body back for."

Since its start, Bruce’s Legacy has recovered 58 drowning victims.

"It's very gratifying for us to be able to help families when nobody else can find them," Cormican said.

Three of the drowning victims they’ve recovered have been in Green Lake.

So, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll knew who to call when he received reports of a missing kayaker in Green Lake on August 12.

"We let them do the driving because they're the experts... they have the equipment," Sheriff Podoll said. "Keith has done it number of times, and he knows what he's doing."

Bruce’s legacy has also been searching for Billy Salnik, a boater who went missing near Door County in July.

"They don't have a lot of information on that one… so that one is going to be very, very difficult to be able to locate that individual underwater," Cormican said.

Keith said they aren’t giving up hope in either case.

"You never know until you try," Cormican said.

Cormican said Bruce's Legacy doesn't charge the families of victims, and largely relies on donations. They reach the public through their website.

Cormican said Bruce’s Legacy will continue to search for both missing boaters, and law enforcement asks anyone who may find information on the boaters to contact them.