Abade "Abe" Martinez, 52, has been missing since Aug. 2, and though investigators have tracked tips from Denver to Arizona, no trace has been found.
The Montrose man was last seen at a relative's home on 58.25 Road in Olathe. The home is within a mile of the Ironstone Canal and various laterals, which were running at a fair clip in August, MCSO Investigator David Harrison said.
|
Advertisement |
Plans are to wade through canals where they are shallow enough, and to use poles for the deeper parts.
Previous ground searches were made within a 1-mile radius of Martinez's brother's home, and canals were floated. Search crews were held up by dense overgrowth along the canal banks at the time, Harrison said.
Saturday's search will again use the Martinez home as the center point. Searchers will begin with the hillside by the house and the Ironstone Canal before moving on to the laterals, and working out from along the Uncompahgre River, both north and south of Highway 348.
Once those areas have been covered, searchers will walk the railroad tracks on the north and south sides of the highway.
The search areas will be divided into sections, headed up by a team leader. Once an area has been searched, the team leader will return to the command center for a debriefing, and it will be decided whether the area needs searched again.
"I'm hoping we get some results out of this, and some closure for the family," Harrison said. "They've been very patient, very understanding of the situation."
Prior to Saturday's search, specially trained dogs will be brought in. The MCSO needs to use the search dogs before the area fills with volunteers that could throw the canines off scent.
Harrison said the sheriff's office also needs the permission of private landowners to search their fields and other areas. Every reasonable care will be taken not to damage crops or property and the MCSO won't be searching areas where there is still standing corn.
Area residents will be notified of the impending search by reverse 911 Thursday evening, Harrison said, and additionally, posse members will come knocking on Saturday.
Property owners who have specific questions can call the MCSO at 252-4023.
Volunteers need to report to the incident command center on South Fifth in Olathe by 8 a.m. Saturday.
"We're really encouraging all volunteers to meet at the command unit and sign in," Harrison said. "We don't want people just going out and searching on their own."
He did not have a current estimate on the number of searchers anticipated. All Points Transit announced Wednesday that two of its drivers, Deane Pope and Shirley Dykes, would be providing transportation during the search.
The command center will be located at the county road and bridge department's Olathe shop at, 221 Fifth Street. Volunteer searchers must be at least 18 and are asked to bring their own flashlights, plus any items they might need that they can carry for several hours. Volunteers are advised to dress for the weather.
"We're going to try to knock on doors. We want the public to be aware of what our intent is," Harrison said.
"I hope we find something."
Abe Martinez is 5-feet, 7-inches tall, 130 pounds, dark hair with salt-and-pepper highlights, was clean shaven at the time of his disappearance, and has brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray T-shirt and blue jeans, but left his hat and cigarettes behind at his brother's home.
Anyone with information is asked to call the MCSO at 252-4010, or the nearest law enforcement agency.
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!