Large Teams and Aerial Search Efforts will Continue Monday for Missing AFC Pilot – Jake Harrell

Mena, Ark. – More than 200 miles were searched last night, however, ground crews today have been very restricted due to icy road

conditions. The terrain in the Ouachitas is steep, bushy, heavily forested – all coupled with continuing low visibility and icy road conditions. Crews all remain staged and a National Guard helicopter is still located just south of Mena, all waiting for a window in the weather to re-start search efforts.

Incident Command has been busy through the afternoon planning a large, concentrated pursuit by both ground and air in an area on the north side of Jake’s supposed flight route, to begin at daylight tomorrow morning. This focused strategy is based on information from Jake’s cell provider about what is thought to be his last transmission before he went missing on Friday.

“We are confident that with a large fleet of aircraft and highly trained ground crews, as well as improved weather conditions, that tomorrow will be a productive day in the search,” said Incident Commander, Billy Black.

The Incident Command structure in Mena continues as a Unified Command effort with the following partners involved: statewide Arkansas Forestry Commission crews, Polk,  Montgomery, and Scott County Law Enforcement, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas National Guard, U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas State Police, Emergency Management crews from Polk and Montgomery County, local volunteer fire departments, and the Civil Air Patrol.

Other stories on this topic:

http://mypulsenews.com/search-continues-in-polk-and-montgomery-counties-for-missing-afc-pilot/

http://mypulsenews.com/ground-crews-searching-continuously-for-missing-pilot-jake-harrell/

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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