ONTONAGON — A missing Ontonagon Township man was found dead Saturday morning, three days after he had last been seen. 

Joseph Bittner’s body was found about 11:30 a.m. Saturday by a member of a volunteer search party, the Michigan State Police Wakefield Post said in a release. Bittner, 58, was found about 1.5 miles west of where his ATV was found. 

Following protocol, personnel from the 8th district Michigan State Police Forensics lab out of Marquette was called in to process the scene. 

Family members reported Bittner missing on Thursday after he failed to return from a camp in Ontonagon Township. He had last been seen Wednesday morning at his residence before leaving for camp on his four-wheeler.

In addition to volunteers, the search included MSP canine teams, Ontonagon County Sheriff’s department, Department of Natural Resources, Gogebic County Search and Rescue and Houghton County Search and Rescue. 

An autopsy of Bittner has been scheduled. Investigators will continue to work to determine his cause of death.