The death of a 70-year-old Hudson Lake man is being investigated by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say they found the body of Vernon Ringler in a pond a few hundred yards from his home Wednesday morning. A relative and caretaker had reported him missing, after she wasn’t able to find him in his home that morning.
Detectives believe Ringler left his home late Tuesday night. They say he was probably wearing dark sunglasses at the time due to recent cataract surgery. Relatives say he had also been showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, although he hadn’t been diagnosed.
Detectives suspect Ringler died from hypothermia, but they haven’t officially determined the cause of death yet. Officers say there was no trauma to the body, and no foul play is suspected.
