Saturday, June 6, 2009

Volunteers search Douglas Lake for missing Newport teen

Volunteers search Douglas Lake for missing Newport teen

June 6, 2009 02:24 PM


By HARLOW SUMERFORD
6 News Reporter

NEWPORT (WATE) -- Lisa Maxwell watched from a boat ramp Saturday as a team of volunteers searched for her daughter Megan.

Similar searches over the last few weeks have been unsuccessful.

The 19-year-old from Cocke County was reported missing in late April.

"With each day that passes, I don't know, it gets harder. At times I feel like, I know deep down I'm probably going to get bad news, but we have to find her," Mrs. Maxwell said.

Saturday was an all-volunteer effort. Dozens of people donated their time, their boats, even specially-trained recovery dogs.

Crew members say they know there is a chance her body is in the lake, so they plan to search every inch.

A couple of boats cruised along the shoreline with volunteers and a cadaver dog on board. On board one boat was Libby, a certified cadaver dog trying to pick up a scent.

If she hits on a scent, a second crew will be called in to search that spot.

Leading the search Saturday was a non-profit group from North Carolina, the CUE Center for Missing Persons.

Still, a lot of people like Teresa Moore are from the Newport community.

Moore said she has known Megan since she was a little girl.

"We aren't going to give up hope and we aren't going to give up on finding her. We are here until, it doesn't matter if it takes another day, another week, six weeks, we aren't going to stop until we find her," said Moore.

Other crews, including members of Ducks Unlimited and a local bear hunters group, searched parts of the county by foot on Saturday.

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