Renewed Search For Haleigh Cummings - 2026

Vern_S

Verified SAR Professional
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  • #1
Starting today, I will be conducting an extensive aquatic search for Haleigh in the waters surrounding and downriver of the Seven Sisters Boat Ramp which is now on private property. The owner has graciously given me full access as needed to launch watercraft at this ramp to conduct the search.

After an extensive review of the case, I have determined the most probable theory to what happed to Haleigh is that she died of an overdose while in Misty's care and that she panicked and took Haleigh to the Seven Sister Boat Ramp and dumped her in the river. This theory is backed up by the Bloodhounds that tracked Haleigh to the boat ramp the morning she was reported missing. This is also The most probable theory of events put forth by the Putnam County Sheriff Departments Lead Detective at the time of Haleigh's disappearance John Merchant and and the Florida States Attorney Investigator Robert Hardwick as disclosed in an interview last year with Nancy Grace.

This theory fits within the principle of Occam's Razor that states the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions should be preferred between competing hypotheses. I have found this to be true in almost every case I have helped solve.

I know that the waters surrounding the boat ramp and the docks/shoreline downstream were extensively searched by divers. Sonar systems in 2009 were very rudimentary compared to today's technology. I have also looked at recent depth charts that may not have been available and have concluded that Haleigh may have ended up outside their search area. In the graphic below, you can see a downward sloping trench that leads from the boat ramp to a deep hole in the river over 800ft away.

SevenSistersWithDepthOverlay.webp


It's obvious that the bottom currents of the river have formed this slope and hole.

It is my intention to map this area with sonar and to search the slope and hole with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles ROVs and specialized camera systems with IR lighting. This will be a long multi day/week search. I will post updates to this thread.
 
  • #2
I look forward to your updates! Thank you.
 
  • #3
I look forward to your updates! Thank you.

I was out yesterday on the water sonar mapping the area.

Here are some sonar screenshots.

The 24ft hole on the marine charts is actually well over 30ft. In the first sonar image, you can see the hole in the left side of the sonar scan.

1769535884100.webp


In this second image I was passing directly overtop the hole which is 33.8ft deep.

1769535911504.webp

In this third image I passed over the other side. You can see the sloping trench leading into the hole on the right scan. The bottom is fairly clear of any large debris. Hopefully the visibility will be decent.

1769535950744.webp


I need a day without wind and calm waters to be able to explore this area better. My skiff was getting blown around pretty good in the wind. More updates to come.
 
  • #4
@Vern_S , Thank You for all you do!! Please stay safe. Again, Thank You.
 
  • #5
Looks like Friday (1/30) the weather looks good for Day 2 search. Plan is to create a new contour depth map of the area and to do a Bottom Current Flow Test to see where the current goes along the bottom of the river starting at the Seven Sisters Boat Ramp.

I mapped the sonar track that best shows the location of the 33ft deep hole that I will be searching with underwater ROVs along with the trench that leads to the hole from the boat ramp.

1769635857050.webp


One of the comments I have seen about this case is that Haleigh would have been eaten by gators if she was dumped in the river. Haleigh went missing on February 10th, the middle of winter. During this period, alligators in this area, Northeast Florida, will normally be in a state of dormancy called brumation. During this time they are very lethargic and stop eating. As small as Haleigh was, if she was wrapped in plastic and possibly weighted down so she stayed at the bottom of the river, this would also lessen the chance that a gator would come across her body. Also, this area has many homes along the river and is heavily trafficked by boats which would lessen the chance of large gators in this area.
 
  • #6
Thank you for your research and endeavors. I truly hope you can find Haleigh and bring her home. Even if you are unsuccessful, you have my undying respect for this.
 
  • #7
Thank you for your research and endeavors. I truly hope you can find Haleigh and bring her home. Even if you are unsuccessful, you have my undying respect for this.
I used to live in Satsuma, 1997 to 2002, before I moved to NC. This case hit home for me and my daughter who still lived in the area. My daughter even named my grand daughter after Haleigh. I am relocating back to Florida and my RV is just down the road from Satsuma so I can spend quite a bit of time searching for her.
 
  • #8
I am so thankful you are searching. You are so appreciated here.
 
  • #9
Thank you so much. Stay warm! Florida is getting slammed with this cold blast.
 
  • #10
Thank you so much. Stay warm! Florida is getting slammed with this cold blast.
Last week I winterized my home in central NC and fled to my RV in Florida. Unfortunately, the cold followed me...:oops:
 
  • #11
Last week I winterized my home in central NC and fled to my RV in Florida. Unfortunately, the cold followed me...:oops:
Rude! ;)

ETA just to be clear, joking. It was very rude of the cold weather to have followed you south @Vern
 
Last edited:
  • #12
Good luck! Its time Haleigh is shown the respect and love she didn't get in her lifetime. Bring her home to the people who love her.
 
  • #13
God bless you for trying, Vern! It will be a monumental task.
 
  • #14
Starting today, I will be conducting an extensive aquatic search for Haleigh in the waters surrounding and downriver of the Seven Sisters Boat Ramp which is now on private property. The owner has graciously given me full access as needed to launch watercraft at this ramp to conduct the search.

After an extensive review of the case, I have determined the most probable theory to what happed to Haleigh is that she died of an overdose while in Misty's care and that she panicked and took Haleigh to the Seven Sister Boat Ramp and dumped her in the river. This theory is backed up by the Bloodhounds that tracked Haleigh to the boat ramp the morning she was reported missing. This is also The most probable theory of events put forth by the Putnam County Sheriff Departments Lead Detective at the time of Haleigh's disappearance John Merchant and and the Florida States Attorney Investigator Robert Hardwick as disclosed in an interview last year with Nancy Grace.

This theory fits within the principle of Occam's Razor that states the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions should be preferred between competing hypotheses. I have found this to be true in almost every case I have helped solve.

I know that the waters surrounding the boat ramp and the docks/shoreline downstream were extensively searched by divers. Sonar systems in 2009 were very rudimentary compared to today's technology. I have also looked at recent depth charts that may not have been available and have concluded that Haleigh may have ended up outside their search area. In the graphic below, you can see a downward sloping trench that leads from the boat ramp to a deep hole in the river over 800ft away.

View attachment 639784

It's obvious that the bottom currents of the river have formed this slope and hole.

It is my intention to map this area with sonar and to search the slope and hole with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles ROVs and specialized camera systems with IR lighting. This will be a long multi day/week search. I will post updates to this thread.
How much bigger would that hole be today with the currents than when Haleigh went missing?
 
  • #15
Rude! ;)

ETA just to be clear, joking. It was very rude of the cold weather to have followed you south @Vern
I got it... Made me chuckle.

I'll be back out on the river tomorrow. I had to build a new Bottom Current Flow Test Rig. Left my old one in NC by accident. It's basically a 20lb solid rubber exercise ball with 50ft of rope and a float made of crab pot buoys and a PVC pipe frame. The solid rubber ball is slightly denser then water and will only weigh a few pounds submerged and the current at the bottom of the river will push it along the bottom. I feed out just enough rope for the ball to hit bottom and then put the float in the water and follow it down river marking the path it takes as I go. I can see the ball on live sonar as it travels down river.

A body when first submerged is also slightly denser then the water and will sink to the bottom where the current will have a similar effect. The goal is to see where a body would go and how fast. I can run this test numerous times to check the results.

1769728038052.webp
1769728106247.webp


I first used this type of rig while searching for a 7 year old boy that fell in the Tar River. In the image below the ball and float passed directly by a large boulder. This test was done several days after the boy fell in and the water level was a few feet higher and the currents were much stronger. The boy was later discovered under this boulder.

1769729226524.webp


More updates to come.
 
  • #16
How much bigger would that hole be today with the currents than when Haleigh went missing?
It's hard to say. The depth chart showed 24ft and I was able to get a depth of 33ft. I have no idea when the depth chart was made. I do plan to create a custom depth chart tomorrow.
 
  • #17
Please be careful and good luck, I am in awe of people like yourself and so thankful you are looking for Haleigh. She is one of the reasons I joined WS. She and Caylee.
 
  • #18

Vern_S, I had an acquaintance who did what you do and had to stop because of the things he'd seen during the recoveries he'd assisted with. I have no doubt that you have seen similar. How do you deal with these images, if that's not too intrusive? If it is, I apologize. There are few who could do this. The memory would be forever. I hope you find Haliegh and bring that baby home.

 
  • #19
@Catmommy We search for those who have gone missing, and comfort those who seek answers.

1769869431775.webp


Last month I was contacted about a missing person in South Carolina, Swapnil Srivastava. His vehicle was found in the Clemson Experimental Forest North of Clemson. Local authorities had searched for almost 2 weeks utilizing every resource they had available. After they suspended the search, Swapnil's girlfriend started a Facebook Page, Missing: Swapnil Srivastava, to organize community searches for Swapnil. I was in Florida at the time working on another case but immediately packed my gear and headed to my home in NC to prepare to search for Swapnil.

I contacted other searchers I had worked with and we all met up on Dec 20th at the location where his vehicle was found. We were all drawn to this case by the girlfriends tireless efforts to continue the search for him. There was a body of water that she was certain he was in so we concentrated our efforts there. In about 2 hours of sonar searching with remotely operated sonar boats, we located Swapnil. It was very emotional moment for all of us.

In the image above, I am comforting the girlfriend after they had just recovered Swapnil from the water and were taking him back to the roadway off in the distance.

To answer your question, it's knowing that I have helped to bring answers to family and loved ones that keeps me out there searching. The love and support of family, friends, and the community help me process and compartmentalize the images that are always present and never fade away. But it's images like the one above that I that help me cope and contain my sorrow.

I hope this answers your question.
 
  • #20
@Vern_S, I wasn’t familiar with Haleigh, but her family and friends are lucky to have a dedicated expert like you applying the scientific method to bring closure to her case.

I hope one day to have a pro like you looking for my friend Kelley Brannon!

I’ll be watching your work with interest. Stay safe, and thank you for chronicling your efforts for us.
 

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