Crews searched dense terrain through the night after Ronald Nowak failed to return from an outing near a remote-controlled aircraft club.
KATY, Texas — An overnight search involving volunteers, law enforcement and members of a model aircraft club ended Wednesday when a 74-year-old man who had disappeared in woods near Katy Hockley Road was found dead.
Texas EquuSearch identified the missing man as Ronald Nowak of Katy and said he was last seen around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Northwest Houston R/C Club. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the man had gone back into the woods after a remote-controlled aircraft was recovered, apparently trying to locate a piece that was still missing.
The first search on Tuesday did not locate him. Texas EquuSearch volunteers joined the effort that evening and continued searching until about 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to the organization. Crews returned later that morning as the disappearance stretched into a second day.
The search focused on a wooded area near the club and the 11100 block of Katy Hockley Road. Texas EquuSearch case manager Mark Edwards said searchers had a good last-known point for where Nowak entered the woods, but the heavy vegetation made the work difficult. Cypress Creek also runs through the broader area searched by crews.
Texas EquuSearch was joined by other search-and-rescue personnel, including Alpha Search + Rescue and Texas Search & Rescue, while members of the Northwest Houston R/C Club also assisted. The coordinated effort centered on retracing the missing man’s movement from the club into the wooded area.
Nowak’s medical condition increased concern as the search continued. Texas EquuSearch said he had diabetes. The organization circulated his description and clothing information while crews searched, listing dark shorts, a light gray T-shirt, a light cream-colored cap with dark blue on the rim and light-colored tennis shoes.
There was some difference in how agencies described the aircraft connected to the disappearance. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez referred to a drone in his account of the incident, while Texas EquuSearch described a model airplane. Both accounts said a remote-controlled aircraft had gone into the wooded area and that the 74-year-old later failed to return after going back into the trees.
Shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Gonzalez said a person believed to be the missing man had been found dead. The sheriff said detectives were at the scene and offered condolences to the man’s family and loved ones. Texas EquuSearch subsequently listed Nowak’s case as “Found Deceased.”
Officials had not publicly released a cause or manner of death as of Thursday. The available statements also did not explain how long the man had been in the location where he was found or what happened after he separated from the other person and returned to the woods.
The recovery closed a search that had continued from Tuesday into Wednesday, but questions surrounding the death remained with investigators. Further information would depend on the Harris County investigation and any findings released after the medical examination.
Author note: Last updated September 17, 2026.