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CPSO rescuers find missing holiday hunter
Family, friends and rescuers alike were ecstatic Wednesday morning (Dec. 24) when Capt. Charles "Junior" Tarver with the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office spotted missing hunter Justin Jones, 72, of Monterey as he (Tarver) flew overhead in a helicopter near the Mississippi River on the Red River Wildlife Management Area.
Jones' family reported him missing when he failed to return from hunting the previous evening. According to Tarver, the search quickly ensued, involving the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries; the CPSO Mounted Patrol and CPSO deputies; as well as a search and rescue dog from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
Tarver additionally enlisted the aid of the Adams County Sheriff's Office's helicopter, which was piloted by John Goodrich of Natchez. "Having that helicopter was essential," Tarver said. "We had marked out the area in grids and covered a lot of ground on foot and horseback, but the helicopter was what finally enabled us to find him (Jones)."
Jones, who was found somewhat dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, said he built a small fire in the night to keep warm.
"I can't say enough about Capt. Tarver and Wildlife Agent Joey Merrill," commented Jones' niece, Renee Robertson, after the rescue. "They (Tarver and Merrill) stayed out there with us (family) all night. They completely took charge of the search and they did a great job!"
She said there were about 40 family members numbered among the 150 or so searchers.
According to Deputy Dennis Cowan, director of the CPSO Mounted Patrol, that group added approximately 10 searchers to the effort, starting at 5:30 Wednesday morning.
Jones said he was deeply grateful to everyone who came out and searched for him over their Christmas holiday. He said that recent storms had toppled numerous trees in the area he was hunting, making it especially dense and difficult to walk through. Then it suddenly became too dark to attempt to find his way out of the Management Area.
Jones, a correctional officer with the CPSO and River Correctional Facility in Ferriday for nearly 10 years, returned to work Monday.
"I just want to thank everyone who went out looking and all those who were praying for me," he added. "But I just hate it that they had to get out there and spend their Christmas looking for me."
The Red River Wildlife Management Area encompasses some 41,681 acres. It's located approximately 35 miles south of Ferriday off of La. Hwy. 15 in lower Concordia.
Sheriff Randy Maxwell expressed appreciation to all those assisting in the search efforts. "It's great to know that everyone is willing to lend a helping hand in an emergency such as this. We're extremely grateful to everyone. The cooperation among agencies and individuals was absolutely outstanding," he added. |
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