Search For Eye Doctor Missing On Lake Hopatcong Continues

LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ — The search continues for a local eye doctor and avid swimmer who went missing on Lake Hopatcong over the weekend, Hopatcong police said.

Arthur Clarke, 64, was last seen Friday, May 19 when he left to go for a swim at 8:30 p.m., Hopatcong Police Captain Thomas Kmetz said. A skilled swimmer, this was not unusual for Clarke, who often swims in both the dark and the cold near his home in the Byram Cove section of the lake.

Clarke's elderly mother reported her son missing the next morning after realizing he did not return home. His flip-flops and shirt were left on his dock, and his bicycle, car and other personal belongings were still home.

The New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau has been conducting searches, Kmetz said, and "we are hoping for the best."

Clarke, a former Hopatcong Middle School teacher and local doctor, is well-known in the community, Kmetz said. He asked that people not contact his family out of respect for Mrs. Clarke's frail health.

Anyone with information about Clarke's whereabouts is asked to contact the Hopatcong Police Department.

UPDATE: Clarke was found dead Tuesday morning. You can read Patch's report here.

Image via Hopatcong Police Department

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