The search in Crawford County continues today, for a 15-year old female missing since the car she was in went off a rural Crawford County Road early Thursday morning, and went into the Boyer River. Each day since the accident occurred, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other volunteers have assembled to resume the search along the Boyer river, a prayer is said over them, asking that they remain safe and that their search is successful.

Each evening when they return, a prayer is said over them again, giving thanks that everyone returned to the command center safely.  On Sunday, the family of the missing teen and their friends gathered at the command center in the Western Iowa Expo Building at the county fairgrounds in Denison and wanted to join the search.

Sheriff James Steinkuehler explained to them that the search should be left to the officials and volunteers.  The river banks are high, steep and soft.  And the family and friends understood.  Along with an outpouring of prayers, the command center has been the site of an outpouring of community support.  Supplies of food and beverages have been donated by local stores.

During Sunday’s search efforts, two boats from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources towing drag lines searched a stretch of the Boyer River north of Denison, and volunteer firefighters conducted another search of the river banks and were also able to search along the shallow edges of the river.  The river has dropped 12 inches, maybe a little more, and now they are able to stand along the edge.  The firefighters were also able to search six to seven feet out from the edges of the river.

Steinkuehler added that where the water has undercut the banks, the firefighters were checking those pockets.  The river had previously dropped about three feet since the accident.  Sunday’s search was unsuccessful.   Today (Monday), dive team members will search hot spots along the river, areas more likely than others where the girl’s body might be found.  A number of firefighters volunteered to continue the search today.

If today’s search is  not successful, members of the Crawford County  Sheriff’s Office and the Denison Police Department will make frequent checks of the river as part of their patrols.  Firefighters in the county will also check the rivers repeatedly.  Law enforcement and firefighters in Harrison County will do the same.  The sheriff continues to ask everyone to pray for the family that their daughter might be found quickly to give them some closure.

(Thanks to our sister station KNOD in Harlan)