Rachel Cooke - The Search For Rachel Phase III

Texas Equusearch Members

Tim Miller and other TE members help brief, do recon's of potential search areas and other tasks as needed.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Activity

Various activities go on all day long from map and team coordination to debriefings as the teams come back in.

Over a dozen teams went out today. The media promised to really push for horses and ATV's for tomorrows search effort.

It was difficult not to be somewhat distracted around noon today because a WWII vintage plane from the airshow crashed into a house today. Word is that no one was seriously injured. Fortunately, the plane hit a house that was being sold and no one was living in it.

http://www.kvue.com/breaking/0504kvue-planeCrash-sc.54765955.html

Express Gourmets provided lunch for the teams today and have committed to do so again tomorrow. These folks have been very generous, providing tasty lunches for the search effort for many weeks now.

www.expressgourmets.com


Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Sunday Search

All searchers today got sent to the area discovered on a recon. We barely scratched the surface today. RC will most likely update us, but IMHO, the next few searches will be back in that area to completely cover the area. The area is quite large and must be searched thoroughly as it is in close proximity to the area Rachel disappeared from and has easy access.

RC assigned me to go with the cadaver dog this afternoon. It was an intersting experience to actually watch this animal, "Meadow," work. Meadow is a beautiful animal.

Friday night, there will be a candle light service for Rachel on the square downtown. Friday is Rachel's 20th birthday and marks 4 months of not knowing where she is.

My apologies to RC because I never managed to get the camera out today to help document the search. There was simply too much going on. Fortunately, I did see a couple of other folks with cameras. Hopefully, they will provide RC and Janet with copies of the pictures.

Please continue to keep Rachel and the Cooke family in your prayers.

 

Great Pictures JR

I put you to work yesterday JR. There is no reason for an apology for not taking any photos on Sunday.

We covered over half of what I identified to search. I did not expect to get everything done. We will just keep plugging away until it's covered.

 

Search Pictures

I truck load of good people.

 

Seach Pictures

Janet and Hunter

 

Search Pictures

Searchers Wanted Sign

 

Today's Search

RC coordinated the team of 10 walkers and two horses to cover the remaining area not completed in the seach two weeks ago. Again, and importantly, we know where Rachel isn't.

 

Dog search today

Two dogs went out and searched today, kicking off the weekend search activities. Meadow and Echo work togeather frequently. Their "moms" are donating their weekend to search for Rachel, so moms and dogs drove from the Houston area yesterday afternoon and started out early this morning searching some bridge underpasses and so on. They then moved on to some empty property in the Cooke's neighborhood, some abandoned buildings South of town and finally towards Leander where some items were bagged and sent to the Sheriff earlier this week.

Meet Meadow and her mom Janise. Meadow is an Air Scent - Cadaver - Live search dog. She was very happy when she "found" me this morning. Meadow has different commands for different types of finds. For example, if she is just looking she is told "Let's work." If she is looking at a mound her mom says, "Angel."

Meadow "working."

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Dog search today

More of Meadow "working."

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

"Angel"

Meadow was given the "angel" command for this brush pile.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Meet Echo and mom

This is Echo and her mom Mary.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

One of our more unique finds today

We thought Mr. Turtle had lost his way back to the creek until we moved him to with a net to take him back to the water and discovered "she" was actually nesting on her eggs.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Another unique find today

Curious what this bug really is. I have never seen one like it and neither had the "moms."

Tomorrow, there is another search scheduled to cover some more areas RC feels need to be searched. Autumn and Echo (and their moms) will be along to help us out.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

May 25 Search

Today's search had a few more people than we have been getting, which was great especially since it's a holiday weekend. 2 walking teams and a dog team were sent out today.

RC is briefing the teams here.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

In the field

This team is completing their grid search of this open field.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Waiting to meet up

RC's team is waiting for the other team to complete their grid search.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

High Noon

Time to end the days search as the weather is too warm to spend a whole day out now. Current temperature is 88 degrees with 50% humidity. It was suppose to T-storm today but held off nicely.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Grandpa Cooke's Workhorse

Grandpa Cooke had a truck load of hot searchers to carry back to where the other vehicles were parked. There were 16 people and two dogs in that truck.

Copyright ©2002 Jacqueline L. Riggs

 

Search Teams Will Be Out

The search teams will be out again at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, 8 June. If you are local and want to help, the teams will meet at Faith Luthern Church 4010 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Tx.