Hiker missing

WINTERGREEN — The president of Glenmore Country Club was missing in the hills and forest around Wintergreen Resort on Thursday, the target of a search that began the day before and grew increasingly intense.

Search and rescue teams from across the state converged on the community Thursday afternoon to comb the hiking trails and areas around the resort for Michael Comer, 45, of Charlottesville, officials said. The search was suspended around dusk.

NBC29, news partner of The News Virginian, reported last night that the search would not resume today. The Nelson County Sherriff’s Office is taking over the investigation.

“Two teams were searching for him overnight, but they were contending with steep terrain and wet ground from rains earlier Wednesday evening,” said Dana Quillen, Wintergreen spokeswoman. “Wintergreen police contacted the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and they sent out search-and-rescue teams to continue the search.”

Searchers and law enforcement officials declined to comment on the search while at the site. They were unavailable for comment before press time Thursday evening.

Comer was reported missing from his vacation home in Wintergreen by his wife around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, resort officials said. He had arrived around noon and reportedly went for a hike.

Dozens of searchers, including search-and-rescue dogs, tramped through the area, which has more than 6,000 wooded acres and 30 miles of hiking trails. The search was complicated by steep terrain, rocky ground, dense woods and undergrowth.

“The trails can be pretty steep, but they’re not that difficult,” Quillen said. “The area around the trails, however, can be pretty difficult.”

According to Glenmore Country Club’s Web site, Comer is president of the privately owned club located east of Shadwell. He has been president for five years as well as project manager for Glenmore Associates, the developer of the Glenmore community, and other commercial projects. He also has been a general partner with Glenmore Associates for the last three years and serves on the club’s board of directors.

Actively involved in several real-estate projects, Comer has been project manager for The Kessler Group in charge of residential home construction and commercial properties as well as controller for all Kessler Group developments, according to the site.

Prior to moving to the area, Comer worked for the FUTURES Golf Tour for three years as rules official, assistant media director, assistant tournament director, and tournament director.

Comer holds a degree from South Dakota State University in engineering, and a business degree from Mankato State University in Minnesota. He obtained his U.S. Golf Association (USGA) rules certification in 1986.

Bryan McKenzie is a staff writer for the Daily Progress in Charlottesville.

NBC29 contributed to this report.