BEMIDJI -- Officials confirmed Friday that the body of a man found in a Bemidji lake on Thursday is that of Matt Pulis, a 31-year-old Iron Range native missing since last October.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office used dental records to confirm the identity, and the examiner's report showed the cause of death to be drowning. The body was found in Lake Irving.
Pulis' mother, Betty Pulis, expressed her gratitude to members of the Bemidji Police Department who, with the help of a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter pilot, found her son's body.
"They are a wonderful, dedicated, compassionate group of people," she said. "They are heroes."
Pulis' disappearance sparked a massive search last fall. He grew up in Mountain Iron and graduated from Virginia High School in 1999. He moved to Bemidji in early 2010, following his sister. He was last seen in the early morning of Oct. 20 after visiting a downtown Bemidji bar with co-workers.
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On the "Help Us Find Matt Pulis" Facebook page, operated by Betty Pulis, members of the community expressed their condolences on Friday, in many instances asking for prayers for the family.
A post on the Facebook page said: "We thank everyone for all of their prayers & support through the past months. We ask that you continue those prayers a little while longer, while our family goes through this period of grieving. Thank you and may God Bless you all for your kindness & respect of our family."
