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Tuesday
March 16, 2010 Since 1922 |
Search for missing Dayton cowboy continues
By Jane Howard Lee
Contributor Published November 3, 2009 Last week’s heavy rains and the resulting high water coming through the Trinity River were what put a Dayton man in harm’s way Sunday.
Gene Roberts, 47, and two other men took to their horses to round up cattle in an area of Liberty County adjacent to the rain-swollen river, planning to move them to safer, higher ground, authorities said.
The three men were riding through water, herding a group of cattle away from the river on the east side of Dayton when some of the livestock broke away, heading for a wooded area. Roberts went after them on his horse.
That was at about 3:30 p.m. Roberts’ companions looked for him themselves first, then sent out a call for help. Roberts’ friends and family reported him missing about four hours later. They waited that long to report his disappearance because they thought he would return, authorities said.
A search got under way not long after, with searchers utilizing boats and all-terrain vehicles to scouring the area where Roberts was last seen.
All they found was Roberts’ horse. There has been no sign of Roberts.
Dayton Police Chief Pete Douzat said the search was suspended about midnight because “it was just too dangerous searching through the wooded area with the water rising.”
The area where Roberts disappeared is about a mile from the river, but well within the area often affected when the rain-swollen river spills over its banks. Some parts of the area where Roberts was last seen are known to have been 10 feet under water during flood conditions.
The search resumed at daylight Monday with 50 to 60 people associated with the Dayton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Liberty and Dayton fire departments participating.
Texas EquuSearch put out a call on Monday for volunteers to aid in the search, requesting anyone who could search on foot or with an all-terrain vehicle to go to the search command center, located at 1551 FM 1008 in Dayton.
“We had a lot of volunteers helping with the search,” the police chief said.
Douzat said a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter showed up to take the search to the air and was joined for a time by an FBI airplane.
The search is still hampered by the floodwaters, Douzat said.
The river’s flooding was supposed to crest Monday, but it will take some time for the flood waters to recede, he explained.
“It will take another day or two for us to see the water go down any,” said Douzat.
On Tuesday, Douzat said those searching from the air will concentrate on those areas that can be seen from there, such as in the river and clear areas. The ground searchers will focus on the areas that cannot be seen from the air.
Douzat added that he was acquainted with the missing man.
“He was a strong athlete when he was in high school,” the chief said. “He was a big track star.
Douzat also said that Roberts had a lot of experience riding horses and herding cattle.
Contributor Published November 3, 2009 Last week’s heavy rains and the resulting high water coming through the Trinity River were what put a Dayton man in harm’s way Sunday.
Gene Roberts, 47, and two other men took to their horses to round up cattle in an area of Liberty County adjacent to the rain-swollen river, planning to move them to safer, higher ground, authorities said.
The three men were riding through water, herding a group of cattle away from the river on the east side of Dayton when some of the livestock broke away, heading for a wooded area. Roberts went after them on his horse.
That was at about 3:30 p.m. Roberts’ companions looked for him themselves first, then sent out a call for help. Roberts’ friends and family reported him missing about four hours later. They waited that long to report his disappearance because they thought he would return, authorities said.
A search got under way not long after, with searchers utilizing boats and all-terrain vehicles to scouring the area where Roberts was last seen.
All they found was Roberts’ horse. There has been no sign of Roberts.
Dayton Police Chief Pete Douzat said the search was suspended about midnight because “it was just too dangerous searching through the wooded area with the water rising.”
The area where Roberts disappeared is about a mile from the river, but well within the area often affected when the rain-swollen river spills over its banks. Some parts of the area where Roberts was last seen are known to have been 10 feet under water during flood conditions.
The search resumed at daylight Monday with 50 to 60 people associated with the Dayton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Liberty and Dayton fire departments participating.
Texas EquuSearch put out a call on Monday for volunteers to aid in the search, requesting anyone who could search on foot or with an all-terrain vehicle to go to the search command center, located at 1551 FM 1008 in Dayton.
“We had a lot of volunteers helping with the search,” the police chief said.
Douzat said a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter showed up to take the search to the air and was joined for a time by an FBI airplane.
The search is still hampered by the floodwaters, Douzat said.
The river’s flooding was supposed to crest Monday, but it will take some time for the flood waters to recede, he explained.
“It will take another day or two for us to see the water go down any,” said Douzat.
On Tuesday, Douzat said those searching from the air will concentrate on those areas that can be seen from there, such as in the river and clear areas. The ground searchers will focus on the areas that cannot be seen from the air.
Douzat added that he was acquainted with the missing man.
“He was a strong athlete when he was in high school,” the chief said. “He was a big track star.
Douzat also said that Roberts had a lot of experience riding horses and herding cattle.