A University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student was declared missing Saturday afternoon, following a night out for his 21st birthday.

The Stevens Point Police Department issued an emergency alert Saturday and Sunday for Eric Duffey, a 21-year-old originally from Fitchburg, Wis.

According to the Sunday alert, he was last seen leaving a downtown Stevens Point bar at approximately 1:15 a.m. Saturday morning to go to his home about 20 minutes away.

On Sunday afternoon, the Police Department led a search party with tracking dogs and a group of about 150 volunteers throughout the community looking for Duffey. Police tried to use cellphone pings to locate Duffey, but they only showed his phone was in the Stevens Point area.

Police told reporters Sunday they did not suspect foul play and believed alcohol was a
factor in Duffey’s disappearance.

“We are asking everyone receiving this message to check their property inside and out, including any outbuildings, to check for Eric’s presence,” police said in the emergency alert Sunday.

UW-Madison junior Lizzy Schultz, a longtime friend of Duffey’s who met him in elementary school, described him as friendly, funny and sweet. She added he loves the outdoors and was at one point a wildlife ecology major.

“He is one of the friendliest and sweetest guys I’ve ever met,” Schultz said. “He once won a best Irish kid competition. He really loved that and was really proud of it. … He was just really funny and sweet. There’s not a lot of guys like that.”

At the time of his disappearance, Duffey was wearing an orange flannel shirt, blue jeans, a brown jacket and possibly a gray and white stocking hat. He is about six feet tall and 150 pounds, with red hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information on Duffey’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Stevens Point Police Department at 715-346-1501.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.