Law enforcement and other agencies continued their search on Thursday for a man who has been missing since Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the Labette County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a man who may be trapped in a tractor at a low-water crossing located on the property south of Altamont. Upon arrival, deputies could not find the driver, and 82-year–old rural Edna man.
The Parsons Fire Department, Bartlett Fire Department, Edna Fire Department, Labette County EMS, Altamont Police Department and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks participated in the search of the area.
As of Thursday, the search is ongoing, with Kansas Wildlife & Parks, the Labette County Sheriff’s Office and Coffeyville TASK-4 continuing to search the waterways in the region.
Water was high on the cab of the tractor on Tuesday when emergency crews arrived. The low water crossing goes over Hackberry Creek.
The Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), Emergency Response Division, was asked to respond to Labette County.
Kansas Task Force 4 was deployed to assist in the search. KS-TF4 consists of agencies located in the southeast part of Kansas. Twelve team members have been searching for two days, utilizing ATVs, boats, wide area ground search as well as swift water technicians wearing dry suits walking the creek. A K-9 team from the Tulsa Fire Department and a K-9 team from Kansas Task Force have been assisting in the search efforts.
Twelve team members from KS-TF3 from the KC Metro Area and 12 members from KS-TF5 from south central Kansas are expected to deploy to the area today, Friday, March 7, to relieve KS-TF4 and continue search efforts. The wind has hindered the use of UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).
The terrain is difficult to maneuver so citizens are asked to stay away from the area for safety reasons. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Labette County Sheriff's Office at 620-795-2565.
