Search continues for missing person after empty kayak washes ashore at Elizabeth Lake in Palmdale

The search for a missing person continued near Elizabeth Lake in Palmdale on Saturday after an empty kayak washed ashore earlier in the week. 

Deputies have been trying to find the kayaker, since identified as 30-year-old Richard Torres, since May 8, according to a press release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

They say that Torres was last contacted by family members a little before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. 

"There is concern for Mr. Torres' well-being," LASD's statement said. 

Early Saturday, LASD's Special Enforcement Bureau sent teams to conduct an aerial search as well as underwater, where divers used sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles to search for Torres. 

Investigators described Torres as a man standing around 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighing around 135 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and a mustache and was last seen wearing a black sweater and black cargo pants. 

They also noted that he has a tattoo of a flower on his right forearm. 

Anyone with further information is urged to contact LASD's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.