CO - Dylan Redwine missing from Vallecito ***SEARCH DISCUSSION ONLY***

[The Cheese]

Kevin Torres Facebook - Sunday November 25th

November 25, 2012 at 12:35pm

At 10:30 AM Sunday Nov 25th dogs alerted at 4 locations at the lake

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245338538954

November 25, 2012 1:58pm

Owner of dogs says 3 dogs alerted since day before post. 3 cones in water to mark alert spots.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...3.139314.255354123953&type=1&relevant_count=1

November 25, 2012 at 2:21pm

Dive boat gets in water with no divers yet. Using sonar cameras under boat. Water about 60-80 feet deep.

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245473363954

November 25, 2012 at 2:36pm

Boat goes to get divers and gear. Should be back in 20 minutes. Water is clear. Flat surface to search. 60-80 feet deep. Dry conditions. Lake low. Area normally 140 feet.

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245493633954

This photo shows area searched w/the 3 white buoys in the water

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...set=a.263519173953.139314.255354123953&type=1

November 25, 2012 at 3:35pm

3 divers in the water

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245567473954

This photo shows 2 of the cones and how close they are to the shore

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...set=a.263519173953.139314.255354123953&type=1

November 25, 2012 at 4:15pm

2 divers surface from the deep end

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245624498954

November 25, 2012 at 4:22pm

Divers can stay in the water 25 to 30 minutes because of nitrogen

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245634818954

November 25, 2012 at 5:48pm

Search over for the day

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres/posts/10151245754573954

 

[The Cheese]

POSTED: 11/25/2012 09:26:25 AM MST
UPDATED: 11/26/2012 01:32:23 AM MSTBy

Bender says 2 dogs alerted.

"We had two of the dogs alerted on the surface of the lake. It could be a submerged deer or elk or something else," Bender said.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingn...ched-missing-boy-laplata-county#ixzz2R8DPMAzD

This is a Kevin Torres report video

http://www.kob.com/article/11687/?vid=3845861&v=1

 

[The Cheese]

Sheriff's press release Monday night November 26, 2nd day of lake search

A two-day search of Vallecito Lake ended late Monday afternoon after extensive sonar sweeps found nothing.

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Two La Plata County Search & Rescue K-9’s alerted in an area on the south end of the lake Saturday and again on Sunday. Seven scuba divers from the New Mexico State Police Search & Recovery Team searched the south end of the lake Sunday afternoon without finding anything suspicious. Visibility under water was 7 to 9 feet. Water temperature was 38 degrees. On Monday three different boats, including one with New Mexico State Police divers on board, used four different sonar systems to scan the bottom of the south end of the lake from shore to shore, along the length of the dam and several hundred yards out into the lake from the dam. After seven hours of sonar grid searches, nothing out of the ordinary was found. Due to a complete clearing of the area of the dogs, as well as the surrounding area, no further searches of the lake bottom are planned unless new information is developed.

A joint team of Investigators with La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Agents are continuing their investigation. If new clues are found or leads developed, additional field searches will resume. No searches are planned for Tuesday.

http://www.pinerivertimes.com/news.asp?artid=1092

 

[The Cheese]

Jennie Pierce, Commander, New Mexico State Police Dive Team
transcribed from video

We feel pretty confident that we've covered the area that we've been asked to cover by physically diving it and by using the side-scan sonar

http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1990769785001

 

[The Cheese]

Temporary buoys were placed in the spots and the dive team searched in about 40 feet of cold water.

http://durangoherald.com/article/20121125/NEWS01/121129707/0/rss/Divers-search-reservoir

The divers went as deep as 40 feet below the surface, where visibility was about seven or eight feet, Bender said.

http://durangoherald.com/article/20121125/NEWS01/121129707/0/rss/Divers-search-reservoir

 

[The Cheese]

I can't find much from Kevin Torres for the second day of the search, Monday Nov 26th. Looks like they may not even have had to dive to check out any abnormalities on this second day. Kevin says on one of the pictures that after 3 laps with sonar they didn't find anything, and I can't find any pictures or comments about dives on this day.

It's difficult finding old comments on Kevin's page. It's like they've been archived because I can't find them by scrolling down the page - I can only find them if I find a link to Kevin's posts somewhere on the net. I'll keep poking around though.

Kevin Torres Facebook - Monday Nov 26th

Picture shows NM state police dive team arriving with more equipment

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...9173953.139314.255354123953&type=1&permPage=1

Looks like this may be when they used the side-scan sonar, because it looks like that may be a tow line going off the back of the boat. Side-scan sonar is also called "towfish" because it's towed from the back of a boat.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...9173953.139314.255354123953&type=1&permPage=1

Dive team makes another lap with the boat using sonar

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...9173953.139314.255354123953&type=1&permPage=1

Good closeup pic of the south end of the lake. Search ends 5:25pm. 2 boats with sonar made 3 laps and found nothing.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...9173953.139314.255354123953&type=1&permPage=1

 

[SCHMAE]

Thanks Cheese. You're a rock star !

 

[The Cheese]

Boats w/sonar criss-cross the water to ensure no area is missed, looking for abnormalities on the bottom, then divers dive only where the sonar shows an abnormality.

Bender said the sonar boats make runs parallel to the dam and then perpendicular to the structure in order to leave no area unscrutinized. One sonar boat belongs to the New Mexico State Police, another is the personal boat of La Plata County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Little.

Sonar impulses home in on objects that don’t match the size or shape of what is normally found on the bottom of a body of water.

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20121126/NEWS01/121129702

At the request of the dive team, two boats equipped with sonar will survey the area Monday. The divers will then be able to maximize their limited time by only searching where blips appear on sonar.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...r-for-missing-teen-dylan-redwine-again-monday

Doesn't look like any dives were necessary on 2nd day of the search. Looks like they just scanned with the sonar but didn't find anything the divers had to go down and check.

From left hand column

A dive team from New Mexico State Patrol spent the day scanning the bottom of the reservoir with sonar.

New Mexico State Police dive team conduct sonar scanning of the bottom of Vallecito Reservoir on Monday

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20121126/NEWS01/121129702/Frustration-mounting

 

[The Cheese]

I just read the scanner thread for the 11/25 and 11/26 monitoring of the lake search. I recommend it.

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191610"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[The Cheese]

La Plata County Sheriff's spokesman Dan Bender says searchers had no luck on Sunday but would resume efforts at the lake Monday.

The New Mexico dive team used a high-powered sonar gun to try and locate any large objects in the designated dive area.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s2845832.shtml

 

[cluciano63]

I have a feeling that upcoming lake searches will yield nothing. I understand why the family needs to have them done. But I just have doubts about the lake being used as a disposal spot if Dylan was murdered. I think if he was killed by someone known to him, he would have been taken to a remote area where one would feel safer, as far as not being seen, rather than driving to the local lake at an odd hour. And in many stranger abductions, the victim is often found quite easily as the need to distance ones self from the victim is not there.

It just seems that, in the end, Dylan will be found by chance, if he is found. If LE does not have a suspect and therefore no potential phone pings to track, I can't even imagine how they would go about picking new places to search. It all seems so random.

 

[MissJ]

I don't think DR will be found in the lake. I doubt he is in the area at all. Its very discouraging to us here, whats happening or not happening in this case, imagine what its like for DR's family. I've changed my mind many times in this case. Hoping DR was held somewhere alive. But this long time....I can't believe that anymore.

 

[Eileen730]

I do agree they have to clear that lake only because of all the hits on it by the dogs!
but I have a feeling they will find something.

 

[The Cheese]

I've gone back again, reviewing the articles and videos from the LE lake search in November and December, as well as reviewed all the Nov 25th and 26th posts here on WS in these threads plus the scanner thread, Kevin Torres facebook, and posts in other forums on the net.

I posted a lot of info and links on the Search thread.

This is my current opinion -

On day one, they used a high powered sonar gun to take pics of the lake bottom and see if there were any abnormalities. They only found one abnormality that they had to dive to check out. It was in 40 foot water, and they dove to the bottom at 40 feet, could see it, checked it out, and cleared it.

They tried to find a high end fish finder but couldn't. So they decided to have more members of the NM state police dive team come up on the morning of day 2, bringing more equipment, including side scan sonar.

They never used any fish finders.

On day 2, they used the side scan sonar, and scanned the bottom for abnormalities. They scanned the entire southern end from (west) shore to (east) shore, and going out from the (southern) shore northward for several hundred yards. No abnormalities were found, so no dives were necessary. LE cleared that entire area.

Only one dive was necessary during the 2 day search, performed on day 1.

LE decided that they would not go back to the lake unless more info came forth.

A week later, not based on any tips, they decided to scan the eastern shore of the lake again. They found no abnormalities on the bottom, and no dives were necessary.

LE cleared that end of the lake.

It has nothing to do with divers being unable to reach the bottom, or the water depth or budgetary constraints, or inadequate equipment, or laziness, or incompetence, or altitude, or water temperatures, or diver visibility.

It's because the powerful and adequate side-scan sonar did not show any abnormalities on the bottom of the lake for that very large area, that the lake search ended, and it's because there have been no dog hits or tips that the rest of the lake hasn't been searched.

They did an adequate, competent, thorough, conscientious, and complete search.

I think they may possibly sonar scan that end of the lake again to see if water movement over the winter shows up something on the bottom, but I don't know how much water movement there's been, or if that would make any difference.

I think it might help some people feel better if they sonar scanned the whole lake with the side scan sonar they used, but I don't know if it's necessary.

Again, this is all my opinion. Because it's all my opinion, I have no further links to share regarding it - only the links I've already posted in the Search thread.

 

[The Cheese]

Sheriff's investigators, 12 Upper Pine Fire responders, and a La Plata County Road and Bridge backhoe were at Middle Mountain Campground on the back side of Vallecito reservoir Tuesday

snipped

Dan Bender said from the site Tuesday afternoon, "It's one of the areas where (search) dogs alerted. It's right on the shore, and the water level is rising."
The Tuesday search was on the shore and just off-shore. Upper Pine Fire responders put a temporary coffer dam around the location and pumped water out, Bender said.

The backhoe was in case any tree stumps needed to be removed, he said. Investigators hoped to be finished at that site later Tuesday, he said.
Bender said he got word about this search Tuesday morning.

"I don't think anything was done yesterday (Monday). Water covered the search area. I don't know if they had a deputy here overnight keeping an eye on the site."

Dog alerts prompted this search, he said. Dogs have given alerts at various places that investigators have followed up since Dylan disappeared.

"What we're doing this afternoon is just part of our ongoing investigation," Bender said.

https://www.facebook.com/pinerivertimes/posts/519158584797305

Doesn't appear to be where they searched the lake in November. Could possibly be where they searched December, but I think that was further south. IMO.

Here's a map that shows the Middle Mountain Campground. Just above the midpoint of the lake on the eastern shore.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sanjuan/recarea/?recid=43060

 

[The Cheese]

Investigators are taking advantage of warmer temperatures today to search the Vallecito Reservoir shoreline for new clues in the disappearance of Dylan Redwine, the teenage boy who went missing last November.

Law enforcement officials have no new tips or discoveries in the case; rather, they are rechecking areas where search dogs picked up a scent late last year, said Dan Bender, spokesman for the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators were walking parts of the shoreline, he said. No boats or dogs are being used in today’s search, Bender said.

http://durangoherald.com/article/20...Warming-temperatures-rekindle-Redwine-search-

So this isn't from when Wendy said her dogs alerted, because that was the beginning of this year. IMO

 

[The Cheese]

They had no new tips or discoveries; rather, they were checking an area where search dogs picked up a scent a few days ago, said Dan Bender spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re searching a specific area where we’ve had dog alerts,” Bender said. “With the snow gone and the ice gone, we’re able to search that area.”

But a slight rise in water level forced investigators to build a cofferdam around the area of interest. The dam was about 20 feet long and reached 10 feet into the water. The enclosure will be pumped today to allow investigators to better search the area.

A deputy planned to monitor the area overnight to make sure equipment was safe.

The cofferdam was constructed at the northeast edge of the reservoir

snipped

“We have had alerts by dogs numerous times from November up until now,” Bender said. “We have pursued all of those as detailed as we could, and none of them have proved positive.”

snipped

Since November, investigators have revisited the reservoir at least 15 times, he said. They have used search dogs, divers, boats equipped with sonar, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on multiple occasions.

http://durangoherald.com/article/20130423/NEWS01/130429858/0/s/Redwine-search-focuses-on-reservoir

 

[The Cheese]

There's a video and photos of the search with this news article.

Dan Bender, spokesman for the La Plata County Sheriff's Office, said search teams returned to the reservoir earlier this week and that cadaver dogs picked up on a scent. While cadaver dogs have picked up scents in that area many times during this search, no evidence of Dylan has been found.

snipped

Sky News 13 flew over the search site Wednesday and spotted divers in small 20-by-10-foot area that was sectioned off by a cofferdam. The area was being pumped so that searchers could get a better look.

Other searchers were digging nearby in the sand

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/search-for-dylan-redwine-shifts-to-lake

 

[The Cheese]

In 49 years, Lemon Reservoir has had less water in only five years; Vallecito Reservoir has recorded a lower water level in only 14 of 72 years; McPhee Reservoir has had only four years with less water in 29 years; and Navajo Reservoir, in 51 years, has had less water in only eight years.

"Reservoirs are drawn down because we had a dry summer," Leach said. "Now, we're going into a dry winter."

Ryan Christianson, group chief of the Southern Water Management Group of the Bureau of Reclamation in Durango, said Vallecito Reservoir is 30 percent full; Lemon is 19 percent full; McPhee, 51 percent; Navajo, 57 percent; and Lake Nighthorse, 94 percent.

http://www.cortezjournal.com/articl...Bleak-water-levels-for---Dolores-River-McPhee

I think this chart looks like it was pretty close to 30%. 120000 acre ft storage at max, looks like 37000 in Nov 2012. The current teacup diagram on the same site says current conditions Vallecito is only at 45% storage. IMO, 30% is reasonable.

http://www.usbr.gov/uc/wcao/water/rsvrs/studies/vr_24month.html

So what does that mean? It means a lot of shoreline was exposed. Are they thinking something was buried on the shore? I just find it difficult to believe that searchers wouldn't have seen disturbed sand/dirt on the shoreline when they walked it last November. IMO.

 

[The Cheese]

Search dogs picked up a scent a few days ago at various points along the reservoir shoreline below Middle Mountain Campground, and dogs’ hits prompted the two-day search.

“We checked all of them and have not found anything at this point,” said Dan Bender, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators Tuesday built a cofferdam with sandbags around the search area because of the rising water level from melting snow. The dam was about 20 feet long and reached 10 feet into the water.

But investigators arrived Wednesday to find the dam had filled with water overnight. They were able to clear the water and search the bottom of the reservoir.

“We’re satisfied that we thoroughly checked that spot,” Bender said.

The group will be back today to clean up the sandbags and black tarps used to create the dam, but no other searches are planned for the area.

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20130424/NEWS01/130429765/-1/news01&source=RSS