The search for Reggie Vardon didn't end with a miracle. Instead, it ended with a fisherman's quiet walk near Mud Creek and a discovery that finally closed a ten-month-old mystery in Ontario County.
When someone goes missing in a small town like Victor, people notice. Especially when it’s an 83-year-old man who was basically a fixture of the local village. Reginald "Reggie" Vardon was that guy. He didn't drive. He walked everywhere. You’d see him running errands, stopping by the bank just to say hello, or moving through the community with a familiarity that made his sudden disappearance on July 15, 2024, feel like a tear in the local fabric.
For nearly a year, the question of what happened to him hung over the Finger Lakes region. Then, in late May 2025, the news broke: Victor NY Reginald Vardon remains discovered. It wasn’t the ending anyone wanted. But for a family that had spent 316 days wondering if their father was suffering, it was, in their own words, a "comfort" to know he wasn't out there in pain anymore.
The Storm That Changed Everything
If you want to understand why it took so long to find Reggie, you have to look back at the weather on the day he vanished. July 15, 2024, wasn't just a rainy Monday. It was a weather event that felt like the end of the world for Western New York.
The region got slammed by severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and even two confirmed tornadoes. Tennis-ball-sized hail pelted the area. Downed power lines and trees were everywhere. While first responders were busy answering over a hundred emergency calls that evening, Reggie Vardon was likely caught right in the middle of it.
He was last seen at the ESL Federal Credit Union on School Street. He wasn't there to move money; he was there to chat with the staff he knew. That was just who he was. After he left, the sky opened up.
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Why the Initial Searches Failed
Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione has been pretty transparent about how hard they looked. This wasn't a lack of effort. They threw everything at it:
- K9 Units: Bloodhounds were deployed from his residence immediately.
- Cadaver Dogs: Later in the search, specialized dogs were brought in but found nothing.
- Aerial Tech: Drones flew over Victor three separate times. The New York State Police Aviation Unit even sent up helicopters once the leaves dropped in the fall.
Despite all that tech, the earth held onto him. The area where he was eventually found—near Mud Creek by McMahon Road—is described as "extremely remote." We’re talking dense brush, tall grass, and a graveyard of fallen trees from that very storm.
The Discovery Near Mud Creek
On the evening of Tuesday, May 27, 2025, a person fishing in Mud Creek spotted something that didn't look right. Near the water's edge, partially obscured by a fallen tree and thick vegetation, were skeletal remains and scraps of clothing.
It was about 100 feet from a railroad bed and roughly 30 to 40 feet from the water itself. Ironically, this was within a mile of Reggie’s home.
The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office used dental records to confirm the identity. It was Reggie. The location and the way his remains were positioned led investigators to a grim but likely theory: he was probably swept away by the flash flooding.
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Mud Creek is usually just a creek, but during a flash flood, it becomes a literal torrent. The sheer volume of water could have easily overtaken an 83-year-old man, carrying him into the brush where he remained hidden for months.
Addressing the "Foul Play" Rumors
Naturally, when a body is missing for ten months, people start whispering about foul play. Honestly, it’s a human reaction to want a villain in the story.
However, the Sheriff’s Office has been clear. While the official cause of death might technically remain "undetermined" because of the condition of the remains, there were no signs of trauma or "ill will" from others. The physical evidence points toward a tragic accident caused by one of the worst storms the area had seen in years.
Remembering "Reggie" Beyond the Headlines
Reggie Vardon wasn't just a missing persons case. To the people of Victor, he was a neighbor. He wore a yellow long-sleeve t-shirt, a green backpack, and a white baseball cap. He was the guy who didn't need a car to be part of the community.
His daughter, Kim, spent months pleading for information. She even set up a Facebook page to keep his name in the public eye. When the remains were found, the family's statement was deeply moving. They thanked the community and noted that "kindness, love, and selflessness do exist."
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It’s a reminder that even in a tragic outcome, the way a community rallies matters.
Lessons from the Victor NY Case
The discovery of Reginald Vardon's remains highlights a few things that are easy to overlook until a tragedy happens.
- The "Hidden" Nature of Flood Zones: Even in familiar areas, flash floods transform the landscape in minutes. A creek you’ve walked past 1,000 times can become a death trap during a severe weather event.
- The Limits of Technology: We think drones and helicopters see everything. They don't. Dense canopy and fallen debris can hide a person even from high-tech thermal imaging.
- Community Vigilance: In the end, it wasn't a satellite or a drone that found Reggie; it was a local fisherman.
What to Do If a Loved One Goes Missing
If you ever find yourself in a situation where a family member—especially a senior—is missing, the Vardon case offers some practical takeaways:
- Act Immediately: The first 24 hours are critical for scent-tracking dogs.
- Map Their Routine: Reggie was a walker. Knowing his exact "errand path" helped police narrow the search, even if the storm moved him.
- Leverage Social Media: Keep the face and the "outfit" of the person in the public eye. The yellow shirt and green backpack were key identifiers.
- Check Waterways: If there was a storm, the search needs to extend to drainage areas and creeks, even those that seem too small to be dangerous.
The Vardon family plans to hold a memorial service at a later date. For now, the village of Victor is a little quieter, but the mystery that haunted McMahon Road is finally over.
Next Steps for Residents and Readers:
Check the local Victor town ordinances or the Ontario County Emergency Management website to sign up for Hyper-Reach weather alerts. These notifications can provide life-saving minutes of warning before flash floods or tornadoes hit your specific neighborhood, helping ensure that walkers and pedestrians have enough time to seek indoor shelter before conditions become life-threatening.