Lake Michigan search resumes for missing teen

Linda Woods

Linda Woods, in white coat, on Saturday, Jan. 4, looks for any sign of Eliza Trainer, 16, who was washed into Lake Michigan by a large wave. (John Agar|MLive)

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – Dive teams on Monday, Jan. 13, resumed the search for a Flushing girl’s body in Lake Michigan after she was swept off the pier Jan. 1 at Holland State Park.

Eliza Trainer, 16, went missing after she and a friend, Kade Goodrich, 19, took a late-night walk on the pier. They were thrown into the water by a large wave, and she lost Goodrich’s hold when another wave hit.

Ottawa County sheriff’s dive team will be joined by dive teams from state police and sheriffs’ departments in Allegan and Kent County. They will be searching near the pier.

The weather – light winds are expected – “provided a window of opportunity (for) for this search,” Ottawa County Sheriff’s Capt. Mark Bennett said.

Trainer attended Flushing High School in the Flint area. The search for her has been hampered by bad weather.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for Hunter Klompstra, 18, of Coopersville, who went missing Jan. 1 after leaving a friend’s party in the 6100 block Leonard Street. He left the party on foot around 2 a.m.

The Ottawa County sheriff’s dive team, along with state police, searched the Grand River near Eastmanville on Friday, Jan. 10, but did not find anything. The search for Klompstra will continue, police said.

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