Update on Possible Drowning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/2/2025

CONTACT:

Chief Jeremy Kinsey

1730 Lincoln Street

402-426-4747

Search Underway for Missing Blair Man

Near Missouri River

Blair, NE - The Blair Police Department is actively searching for a missing Blair resident who was last seen near the Missouri River early Wednesday morning.

At approximately 10:04 a.m. on July 2, 2025, Blair Police officers responded to a report of a missing and potentially suicidal individual. Family members of 60-year-old Furmain Bicaba, a Blair resident, reported that he left his home around 5:30 a.m., leaving behind a suicide note. Utilizing cell phone location data, the family traced his last known whereabouts to the area of the Blair Optimist River Park boat ramp.

Investigators later obtained surveillance footage showing a man

matching Bicaba’s description walking near the boat ramp at approximately 6:10 a.m. Officers initiated a ground search of the surrounding area, deploying drones to aid in aerial observation. Rescue boats and drones from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Blair Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission assisted in searching the Missouri River. Currently, the search has not yielded results.

The multi-agency search effort remains ongoing.

The Blair Police Department is asking the public to be alert and report any possible sightings or information related to Furmain Bicaba. He is described as a Black male, 60 years old, 6 feet tall, approximately 160 pounds, and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a gray “Cabela’s” sweatshirt. A photo of Furmain Bicaba is provided.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Russ Cook at 402-426-4747 or reach out to the Washington County Communications Center at 402-426-6866. (Blair Radio's Kelly Johnson just happened to be at Optimist Park when first responders arrived and notified the news department. Kelly was there checking on river water levels due to the recent rains)