On Saturday, local law enforcement called off the search for a missing rural Edna man. The man’s family is continuing the search effort, along with sheriff’s deputies.
On March 4, 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, Lynn Gregory, 82.
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.
Law enforcement and other agencies continued their search through Saturday.
The Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), Emergency Response Division responded last week as well.
Kansas Task Force 4 was deployed to assist in the search. KSTF4 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 assisted 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 also deployed. The Civil Air Patrol also participated in the search.
Sheriff Darren Eichinger said on Monday that search crews walked miles of the Hackberry Creek and cut through tangled brush piles in the creekbed during but found nothing. Those searching included divers, searchers with dogs, all with specialized training, and drones. Sheriff’s deputies will continue to search the area this week, he said.
Eichinger said Gregory was driving a tractor and pulling a hay trailer carrying large bales of hay when he entered the low water crossing. A large hay bale was found about a mile downstream.
Hackberry Creek eventually feeds into Labette Creek, which feeds into the Neosho River.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Labette County Sheriff’s Office at 620-795-2565.
