MS MS - Zeb Hughes, 21, & Gunner Palmer, 16, Warren Co/MS River, 3 Dec 2020

[Quill]

I'm from the south. The boat is probably a flat bottom with a small motor.

Hello. I am only about 45 minutes away from the river, myself. Duck hunting here is such a popular sport. I'm sure they must have done this a thousand times. I wonder what was different about this day?

I am wondering about the dog, too. If this lab that has been spotted out there is not the one that went with the boys that day, where is she? This is just such a sad situation.

 

[Gigi3]

Hello. I am only about 45 minutes away from the river, myself. Duck hunting here is such a popular sport. I'm sure they must have done this a thousand times. I wonder what was different about this day?

I am wondering about the dog, too. If this lab that has been spotted out there is not the one that went with the boys that day, where is she? This is just such a sad situation.

I was wondering about the dog too. I live in Louisiana close to the Red River and those currents can really be rough at times. This is just so heartbreaking.
Still holding out some hope for all involved.

 

[mlhenn]

United Cajun Navy

Vicksburg Daily News had a live report from LE; it was shared on United Cajun Navy fb page

In the video, the Warren Co sheriff shared:
•that they will continue their search of the water
•several boats are involved, each boat is equipped with sonar
•IF they receive a tip concerning land, then they will look into that by conducting another land search
•the families of the two boys were on scene tonight
•the sheriff ‘briefed’ the families as he does every night on the latest updates
•officials will be back tomorrow to continue their search on water as long as weather permits (meaning no lightning, clear visibility of larger vessels on river)

 

[mlhenn]

United Cajun Navy

United Cajun Navy Mississippi

UPDATE ::
It is confirmed that the dog found was NOT Zeb's dog.

PLEASE only share and comment verified information.
PLEASE continue to pray for the families.

 

[mlhenn]

Day 8: Crews perform surface and sonar patrol of Mississippi River in search for missing hunters

Crews performed surface and sonar patrol of the Mississippi River in the ongoing search for two hunters who have been missing since last Thursday.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks had several boats near Port Gipson and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department had boats in the LeTourneau-area today, said Sheriff Martin Pace.

Pace also shared that although the search teams have suspended their ground search for 16-year-old Gunner Palmer and 21-year-old Zeb Hughes, hunting communities in the area are aware to be on the lookout for the two.

 

[mlhenn]

Day eight of search for missing hunters ends without success - The Vicksburg Post

An additional update:

Authorities looking for two duck hunters missing since Dec. 3 were again unsuccessful in their efforts as the eighth day of the search came to a close Friday.

Boats with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks planned to return to Mississippi River Saturday, weather permitting.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said Friday the search for the pair was being concentrated on the water. He said deputies launched Friday from LeTourneau Landing, while Wildlife and Fisheries agents launched from LeTourneau, Port Gibson and Natchez.


Pace said the search was actually shifted farther south near Port Gibson.

He also said that ground search efforts had been suspended, but would resume if officials received evidence that the pair might have made it to land.

 

[mlhenn]

Dog found in the search for two hunters is not their dog

A dog spotted in the search area for two missing hunters is not the hunters’ dog, Kye.

A couple of days into the search, some of the rescuers saw a black Lab roaming the woods and running down a nearby road. The hope was that the dog was Kye, but no one could get close enough to the dog to catch it.

Humane traps were set for the dog a few days later, and Friday morning, the mystery dog was caught. Kye’s trainer was called to help identify the dog.

Sadly, the trainer said it was not Kye. The dog caught in the trap had different coloration and markings.

 

[mlhenn]

Search for missing hunters enters Day 9, likelihood of rescue becoming ‘less and less likely’


Sheriff Martin Pace said, “We never want to give up hope, we never want to say that a rescue is not possible but with every hour and every day that passes the likelihood of a rescue becomes less and less likely.”

Pace says he will not give up the search until he can provide answers for the families of the hunters.

 

[mlhenn]

Crews searching for missing hunters remain focused, committed - The Vicksburg Post

The search for two missing hunters on the Mississippi River is now covering an area from north of LeTourneau Landing in Vicksburg south to Natchez.

“We have not even discussed terminating the search,” Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said late Saturday. “It has not even been a topic of discussion.”

Saturday’s search began at 10 a.m., delayed by heavy fog along the river. The search was expected to resume Sunday morning.

Pace said that weather permitting, the search would again include aircraft over the targeted area in the “next day or two.”

 

[mlhenn]

It’s been raining here all day; I’m sure the same is true for Warren County.

 

[mlhenn]

United Cajun Navy

Sunday, Dec 13, 2020
Update
United Cajun Navy and local authorities have suspended today’s search due to weather.

 

[Quill]

United Cajun Navy

Sunday, Dec 13, 2020
Update
United Cajun Navy and local authorities have suspended today’s search due to weather.

Hard rains yesterday. Still very overcast today. I'm feeling very somber this morning.

 

[mlhenn]

Log into Facebook

Update
Dec 14
The search continued today for the boys as search teams braved the cold, windy, and rainy conditions.
The search will continue tomorrow.
If anyone owns a boat with side scan sonar that can navigate the MS River and would like to volunteer in the search, please fill out the volunteer application on Cajun Navy fb.

 

[mlhenn]

Search for hunters on the Mississippi expands; weather plays key role

The search for hunters Gunner Palmer, Zeb Hughes and Hughes’ black Labrador retriever Kye is approaching the two-week mark.

Tuesday, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said the search area has expanded on the Mississippi River south to Natchez.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks agents deployed boats Tuesday from Natchez, Port Gibson and LeTourneau, while the sheriff’s office launched from LeTourneau.

Pace said searchers will monitor weather conditions Wednesday morning, but they plan to be on the water as soon as possible.

Pace said visibility is the key factor in searching in the rain. There is a possibility that the K-9’s from Mercy Search and Rescue will be returning to join in the search in the next couple of days as well.

 

[mlhenn]

Mercy Search and Rescue aids in search for missing hunters


Among the many people on and around the Mississippi River was Brandi Brignac, owner of Mercy Search and Rescue.

Brignac and her Dutch Shepherd, Mercy, traveled to Vicksburg from St. Amant, Louisiana earlier in the week to offer their assistance in the continuing search for missing hunters Gunner Palmer and Zeb Hughes.

Brignac’s dogs are dual purpose in that they can track living humans or locate cadavers. Mercy and Brignac’s other dogs train daily for the calls that will inevitably come. Brignac has four other K-9’s coming up, three of which are due to be certified next weekend.

Mercy is a year and a half old and has numerous finds and recoveries to her credit. Brignac said the dogs become depressed when they are unsuccessful in finding their target, so they have returned home for a couple of days to allow the dogs to decompress.

 

[Razz]

How long would it take for the water to sweep them away way down south? I can't help but feel this is like looking for a needle in a haystack or...looking for a body in the Mississippi. Have searchers been successful in past searches of finding bodies in the Mississippi?

 

[Razz]

How long would it take for the water to sweep them away way down south? I can't help but feel this is like looking for a needle in a haystack or...looking for a body in the Mississippi. Have searchers been successful in past searches of finding bodies in the Mississippi?

Here is an article written in 2004 by the St Louis Dispatch. Bodies are very difficult to retrieve but it has been done.
If you could drain the Mississippi River, what would you find?

 

[mlhenn]

United Cajun Navy

UPDATE
Search called off today due to weather.
There has been another specialized boat called in to use. Searches will resume this weekend.
Although the searches seem prolonged, they will not stop.

 

[mlhenn]

Log into Facebook

Update:
The search continued until 4pm today.
The weather has been cold & windy but search teams are determined to continue searching.
Tomorrow (Fri), Saturday, & Sunday we will have more boats and people searching for the two boys.
United Cajun Navy is looking for volunteers with boats capable of handling the MS River.

 

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