Search crews were back out in the Hallsboro Road South area this morning, seeking an autistic girl who disappeared Tuesday night.
Jettie Edwards, 15, was last seen wearing jeans and a pink sweatshirt around 9 p.m. Jettie is autistic. She may or may not be barefooted, Sheriff Bill Rogers said. She is a white female, standing 5’2” tall, and weighs 105 pounds.
Rogers said drone teams, a search helicopter from Brunswick County and K9 teams worked until around 3 a.m. in subfreezing temperatures, and found no sign of the girl.
“The drones really impressed me,” he said. “They were double checking behind each other, flying grids all around the area. They found rabbits, deer, but no sign of her. The cameras picked up about everything in the woods.”
Crews also searched one of several ponds in the area, after a search dog followed a scent to the pond. A check of the pond using the Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera showed no sign of the girl, but searchers took to the water in a one man boat with a bright searchlight. Dive crews were on standby.
“The water was crystal clear because it was so cold,” Rogers said. “A pink sweatshirt would have stood out against the bottom. They didn’t find anything.”
The area has several ponds, marl pits and swampy areas, Rogers said, making searches more challenging.
Crews were back on the scene searching by 8 a.m. today, Rogers said.
Temperatures in the area dropped below 30 for much of last night, Rogers said. “If she is out there without shoes on, she’s going to want somewhere warm.”
Stay with Columbuscountynews.com for further updates.
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