Search called off for missing man
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Highland County Sheriff's Office called an end to the three-day search for Andrew Smith, who disappeared into Rattlesnake Creek after jumping into the waters from the East Monroe falls.
"We wrapped up the search (Wednesday) evening," said Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward. "About 5 p.m. we got everyone out of the woods and off the water. We feel like we've searched the banks and the creek as well as the obstructions and the debris fields for 6-7 miles to Paint Creek. What we're going to do is periodically go in and visually check the area, check the falls where he was last seen daily - several times a day - and do that through the weekend."
Ward said the HCSO is now working under the assumption that Smith drowned.
"I spoke at length with the family today," Ward said. "We can presume he has drowned."
Cadaver dogs from a private agency in Adams County searched along the creek banks and from boats over the area of the water in which Smith was last seen, but Ward said "nothing of significance was found. There were a couple of indications (from the dogs) and those were thoroughly checked downstream. The conditions are extremely tough out there with the heat and humidity."
Ward said the search crews have not found any sign of Smith since he disappeared around 7:30 p.m. Monday. According to witnesses, Ward said, Smith and approximately five others were at the falls to swim. There allegedly was concern and discussion over the flow of the water, which was debris-filled due to recent heavy rains, Ward said. Smith eventually jumped feet-first into the water, according to witnesses. He surfaced twice, and witnesses said he indicated that he possibly was having trouble or was injured. Smith then disappeared into the water and has not been seen since.
Accessing the creek has proved difficult, with a severely sloping banks and heavily wooded areas lining the creek.
"To get the boat in, we were literally rappelling down the side of a rock face to get in the equipment we needed," Ward said.
On Tuesday, aerial searches with a helicopter showed an area that appeared to be a beaver dam in the creek was catching a lot of debris, and Ward said that area was thoroughly searched.
On Tuesday, the search and rescue efforts were changed to search and recovery.
"We've kind of went into a recovery mode versus a rescue mode," Ward said on Tuesday. "We believe if he was along the banks waiting for help, we would have found him already."
Throughout the search, rescue crews have had to battle harsh weather conditions, from rain and thunderstorms Monday night, to heat and humidity on Tuesday.
Ward said the search has been a tremendous collaborative effort, and he praised the work and communication of the multiple agencies involved, including the HCSO, the Highland County Victim, Witness Protection Program, Leesburg Police Department, Leesburg North Joint Fire and EMS District, water rescue and diving crews from townships in Ross County, the dog team from Adams County, crews from Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, and countless volunteers.
"It has been a coordinated effort from hour one, with the initial response from our office and the Leesburg North Joint Fire District. Chief Kenny Stephens was a valuable resource."
Ward said the world of the East Monroe United Methodist Church, on Monroe Road, was used as a staging area for the search, and the church members were a valuable and supportive asset.
"A lot of the volunteers were from the East Monroe United Methodist Church," Ward said. "They have been a valuable asset from the start. They opened up their facility for restrooms and cooling facilities, they provided food and water to all the volunteers, the family and the search teams. It makes our job much easier to not have to deal with that side of the operation, so we can put more effort into the work at hand. That is sometimes a job that is overlooked, but always appreciated."
Though the search efforts "went very well, at the same time it is very frustrating that we have not been able to come to a resolution," Ward said. "These types of operations are often very frustrating, and there have been a lot of obstacles - the movement of the water, the debris in the water, the temperature during the day, and the overall terrain. We did the best we could with the resources and manpower we had - and we had plenty of it. We are hopeful that over the next couple of days, we will let nature take its course, and find something in the water to make a recovery."
The Highland County Sheriff's Office called an end to the three-day search for Andrew Smith, who disappeared into Rattlesnake Creek after jumping into the waters from the East Monroe falls.
"We wrapped up the search (Wednesday) evening," said Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward. "About 5 p.m. we got everyone out of the woods and off the water. We feel like we've searched the banks and the creek as well as the obstructions and the debris fields for 6-7 miles to Paint Creek. What we're going to do is periodically go in and visually check the area, check the falls where he was last seen daily - several times a day - and do that through the weekend."
Ward said the HCSO is now working under the assumption that Smith drowned.
"I spoke at length with the family today," Ward said. "We can presume he has drowned."
Cadaver dogs from a private agency in Adams County searched along the creek banks and from boats over the area of the water in which Smith was last seen, but Ward said "nothing of significance was found. There were a couple of indications (from the dogs) and those were thoroughly checked downstream. The conditions are extremely tough out there with the heat and humidity."
Ward said the search crews have not found any sign of Smith since he disappeared around 7:30 p.m. Monday. According to witnesses, Ward said, Smith and approximately five others were at the falls to swim. There allegedly was concern and discussion over the flow of the water, which was debris-filled due to recent heavy rains, Ward said. Smith eventually jumped feet-first into the water, according to witnesses. He surfaced twice, and witnesses said he indicated that he possibly was having trouble or was injured. Smith then disappeared into the water and has not been seen since.
Accessing the creek has proved difficult, with a severely sloping banks and heavily wooded areas lining the creek.
"To get the boat in, we were literally rappelling down the side of a rock face to get in the equipment we needed," Ward said.
On Tuesday, aerial searches with a helicopter showed an area that appeared to be a beaver dam in the creek was catching a lot of debris, and Ward said that area was thoroughly searched.
On Tuesday, the search and rescue efforts were changed to search and recovery.
"We've kind of went into a recovery mode versus a rescue mode," Ward said on Tuesday. "We believe if he was along the banks waiting for help, we would have found him already."
Throughout the search, rescue crews have had to battle harsh weather conditions, from rain and thunderstorms Monday night, to heat and humidity on Tuesday.
Ward said the search has been a tremendous collaborative effort, and he praised the work and communication of the multiple agencies involved, including the HCSO, the Highland County Victim, Witness Protection Program, Leesburg Police Department, Leesburg North Joint Fire and EMS District, water rescue and diving crews from townships in Ross County, the dog team from Adams County, crews from Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, and countless volunteers.
"It has been a coordinated effort from hour one, with the initial response from our office and the Leesburg North Joint Fire District. Chief Kenny Stephens was a valuable resource."
Ward said the world of the East Monroe United Methodist Church, on Monroe Road, was used as a staging area for the search, and the church members were a valuable and supportive asset.
"A lot of the volunteers were from the East Monroe United Methodist Church," Ward said. "They have been a valuable asset from the start. They opened up their facility for restrooms and cooling facilities, they provided food and water to all the volunteers, the family and the search teams. It makes our job much easier to not have to deal with that side of the operation, so we can put more effort into the work at hand. That is sometimes a job that is overlooked, but always appreciated."
Though the search efforts "went very well, at the same time it is very frustrating that we have not been able to come to a resolution," Ward said. "These types of operations are often very frustrating, and there have been a lot of obstacles - the movement of the water, the debris in the water, the temperature during the day, and the overall terrain. We did the best we could with the resources and manpower we had - and we had plenty of it. We are hopeful that over the next couple of days, we will let nature take its course, and find something in the water to make a recovery."
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