UPDATE: Thursday, July 18 at 4:30 p.m.
The Wolfe County Search & Rescue team provided an update regarding reported missing person 48-year-old Scott Hern, who was last seen in the Red River Gorge area on July 6.
According to officials with the team, at around 8 a.m. on Thursday search and rescue teams, along with four dogs, searched for Hern near Tower Rock and after seven hours, he was not found.
The teams cleared the Bell Falls area while new information from the family indicated that Hern was visiting the area for the past few months searching for waterfalls. Officials reported that a diary from Hern detailed the locations that he planned on visiting.
Officials reported that teams are planning a "rest day" on Friday and the ground search will continue on Saturday morning, weather permitting.
The rescue team asked visitors to avoid the area between the Gladie Visitor Center and Osborne Bend trailhead as the search continues.
Original Story:
Wolfe County Search and Rescue posted to Facebook on Tuesday that they are searching for a missing man last seen in the Red River Gorge area.
Officials said they received a report of 48-year-old Scott Allen Hern being last seen on July 6, according to a new tip they received Wednesday morning.
His family reports seeing him in Ironton, Ohio, on July 4.
"The last communication that Mr. Hern had was July 5, and it was by text messaging," said Wolfe County Search and Rescue Chief John May. "He typically texts his sister daily, so once she wasn’t receiving text messages the family started getting concerned."
According to officials, Hern's vehicle was found Tuesday parked at the Tower Rock Trail parking area along Highway 715.
Wolfe County Search and Rescue says they received a tip later in the day that Scott was apparently looking for directions on how to locate Sal Branch Waterfalls within the Wilderness area of DBNF.
"Even though his vehicle was parked at the Tower Rock pull off, still uncertain if that’s where he was headed to," Chief May said, "but some people had saw where he had been asking some questions online about a particular waterfall that’s located basically in the wilderness area."
Another tip this morning placed Hern in the gorge as early as July 6.
"We had another lead that came in this morning from another individual who saw him in that general area, off the trail, but in that general area on July 6," said Chief May.
Wednesday's search included around 25 people, along with a few dogs. Crews report the area is a "rugged off-trail area."
With an updated timeline, Chief May feels some extra urgency to find Hern soon.
"He’s probably been in the area for eight days, and you know, we’ve had some extreme temperatures. We’re getting concerned about his well-being at this point."
Officials ask the public to avoid the area between Gladie Center and Osborne Bend due to search crews utilizing the parking.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Wolfe County dispatch at 606-668-6757.
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