Rachel Cooke - The Search For Rachel Phase II

Some preferred to stand

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

RC and Aunt Elaine

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Some seats were a bit hard

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Another long day

Please keep Rachel and the Cookes in your thoughts and prayers as the search for Rachel continues. Hopefully, RC can post how many acres were covered in todays search. The teams will go back out tomorrow to complete this search area. Once again, we know where Rachel isn't.

 

031702 Search Update

Today's search was a bit disheartening. Only 6 searchers showed up - it was drizzling. However, the 6 of us did search and now have more acres covered that tell us where Rachel isn't. It's area that needed to be searched and has been.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Cooke family as always.

 

Every Search Matters

JR, every search that we do determines where Rachel "is not". They are all important whether we have 6 or 60 searchers.

I think we covered around 200 acres on Saturday and over 50 yesterday. Lanny and I rode around for 2 1/2 hours after the search looking for future search sites. We will compare them to the Equusearch records and search what is necessary.

Your pictures make us look like all we do is eat! ;o) They don't show that we searched for over 7 hours on Saturday and stopped to eat less than one hour.

I guess most people here know that we have no life anymore ourside of work and searching for Rachel. I couldn't enjoy doing anything else now anyway.

Oh and thanks for your help on both days JR. You are a true friend!

RC

 

RC

Hey - at least I got a small smile out of you.

Seriously, folks we do only stop for an hour, if that when eating. The problem is trying to take pictures during the actual search. Much of what the walkers search is very rugged terrain that the horses can't get into. At times it's hard to see more than a spot of color on the person next to you so impossible to take pictures. I will attempt to take more "in the field" pictures though so folks get an idea of what really does go on in the search.

A classic example was Sunday's search. At least one person had to stop twice to pull big thorns out of his shoes. The thorns can penetrate right through canvas and sometimes leather. One also has to be very cautious about stepping in or leaning up against catus. Those needles penetrate right through denim and into your skin. The gentlemen gave me the easier part of the search (along the roadside) yesterday, but even so I was walking in sitckery (ouch) berry brambles off and on. The gentlemen were in some very rugged briars and so on. I saw at least two men bleeding on Saturday from getting nasty scratches.

I will load a couple of pictures that may give a better idea of the terrain. These show what kind of area the horse teams are searching. Remember, the walkers are going where the horses can't. The horse team went into the brush behind them.


Copyright ©2002 Lanny

 

Terrain

Again, this is an area a horse team searched. Notice the cactus in the foreground. This type of scrub is found in most of the areas being search be it by horse or walking teams.

Copyright ©2002 Lanny

 

Search Update

The search for Rachel continues. There will be a specific area search this weekend.

 

032302 Search

Each search day starts with a briefing of those who will be searching. This includes, where we are going, team assignments, new searcher signups, signing a "hold harmless" agreement and generally a prayer.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Horse team in the field

Copyright ©2002 Lanny

 

More horse team searchers

Copyright ©2002 Lanny

 

Horses re-group

Copyright ©2002 Lanny

 

Walking team fanning out

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

More walkers fan out

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Walking team again

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Everything is carefully checked

There were 3 drainage pipes here. Since it's been 2 1/2 months, the leaves and so on could have collected in that period of time. The searchers make sure they can see all the way through each culvert, drainage pipe and so on.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

No man's Land

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

The type of thing we are looking for

These tire marks do not natually belong in this area so reinforcements were brought in and the area was very carefully searched.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs