Authorities have identified the body pulled from Ayer’s Grove Pond late last month as a snowmobile driver reported missing in late January.

Authorities said this week Thomas Cormier, 49, was pulled from the lake in early February. In a social media post at the time of the discovery, authorities said the body was found “after an extensive search under challenging conditions.”

Cormier was reported missing to Ayer police on Jan. 29.  Investigators determined that Cormier likely was operating a snowmobile on the lake ice.

Snowmobile tracks were located entering Grove Pond, but authorities said they were unable to find any evidence that the vehicle had traveled away from the body of water. A frozen snowmobile also was located near Cormier’s body near where he was suspected to have gone missing.

Additional details about Cormier’s disappearance weren’t immediately released, though officials told local media outlets that they believe his death was due to drowning.

Massachusetts State Police in late February issued a warning urging people to stay off ice over bodies of water after several emergency incidents.

The Massachusetts State Police Dive Team, the Ayer Police Department, the Ayer Fire Department, Massachusetts Environmental Police, the Webster Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police aided in the investigation.

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