Ronald Nowak, 74, of Katy was found dead Wednesday, Sept. 16, in woods near the 11100 block of Katy Hockley Road. The discovery ended a two-day search involving Harris County deputies and multiple volunteer organizations.

Nowak had been flying a remote-controlled model airplane with friends at the Northwest Houston R/C Club on Tuesday morning when the aircraft crashed into the woods, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X. The group located the downed plane, but Nowak went back into the woods to find a missing part and never came out.

He was last seen around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to Texas EquuSearch case manager Mark Edwards.

"He had friends — they were all flying their planes," Edwards told the Houston Chronicle.

Searchers fanned out Tuesday evening. Crews could not find Nowak by about 9 p.m., but Texas EquuSearch volunteers kept looking until roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday, Edwards said. The search resumed about six hours later.

Edwards described the terrain as dense, telling the Chronicle that searchers had a good fix on where Nowak entered the woods "but the terrain is pretty thick coverage." Cypress Creek runs through the tree line just off the club's airstrip, a factor Edwards flagged as a concern.

The Wednesday effort drew a wide response. HCSO detectives, the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, Texas EquuSearch, Alpha Search + Rescue and Texas Search & Rescue all took part, Gonzalez said. Northwest Houston R/C Club President Tom Matney said club members also joined the search, the Chronicle reported.

Gonzalez announced shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday that Nowak had been found dead, ABC13 reported. HCSO detectives were on scene. No cause of death had been released as of Wednesday afternoon.

Nowak had diabetes, according to Texas EquuSearch. Whether his medical condition played a role has not been disclosed.

Anyone with information can contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office.