Family, friends and community members are still searching for 25-year-old Jon "Jay" Franklin, a St. Charles man who went missing Friday during a float trip on the Meramec River near Eureka, and their spirits remain unhindered.
Air searches ramped up on Tuesday thanks to the help of Boeing employees and other volunteers. Retreating water levels have allowed the search party to cover additional ground throughout the week. Volunteers have also begun to search farther down river.
Find out how to join the search.
"With the waters receding the boat ramp has opened up for public use and we had 3 boats of locals come out to help in the search with highway patrol. We are able to get to more land on foot and we have had groups out searching. The pilots have been in the air all day and tomorrow the state troupers may have a helicopter. We continue to spread the word that Jon is still out there," according to a Thursday night update on the Bring Jon Franklin home Facebook page.
"Today is the day! Don't give up on Jon and he won't give up either," they posted Friday morning.
Original story:
Early Friday evening our partners at FOX2 reported that authorities had begun searching for a person who disappeared while out with a group earlier that afternoon. Eureka and High Ridge fire fighters headed up the search, which was called off late Friday due to storms.
The man was not wearing a flotation device, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Searches by authorities continued Saturday, and on Sunday the family asked for additional volunteers to join the effort. The man, identified by a search volunteer as Franklin, has brown eyes and brown hair, and was last seen wearing green and white swim trunks.
"Horseback riders are needed to search the trails. The brush along the river is very thick making search and rescue efforts by foot difficult. Mushroom hunters, fisherman, hikers and those who explore and know this area and would like to join the search would also be greatly appreciated," according to a call for volunteers shared with Fenton-High Ridge Patch Facebook fans.
Anyone who would like to get involved in the search is encouraged to contact authorities, or call 309-208-8506 or 309-264-9257.
Franklin works for Boeing. He is a native of Peoria, where several of his float trip group members were also from, Peoria Journal Star reports.
"The group included a groom-to-be for whom Franklin is to serve as best man next weekend," according to the PJStar.
Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
Read our previous report: Search for Man Missing in Meramec Resumes After Storms
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