‘We’re not going anywhere’

Sunday marks the third full day of an exhaustive search effort to locate two young hunters who disappeared Thursday on the Mississippi River.

Copiah County residents and supporters from other places far and wide have come together to aid and support any way they can.  Many are bringing food, water and supplies for the search party, and all are bringing love and support for the families and loved ones.

(photo by Thomas Parker)

A large group gathered for a prayer circle Sunday at LeTourneau.

The young men, Gunner Palmer, 16, from Copiah County, and Zeb Hughes, 21, of Wesson, Mississippi, went out on a boat Thursday with their dog to find a good spot for duck hunting near Davis Island. They have not been heard from since Thursday afternoon.

(Photo by Thomas Parker)

Authorities from Warren, Rankin, Madison, Yazoo and Simpson counties have united under the Mid-Mississippi Strike Team and deployed search efforts in the air, ground and water since the pair were reported missing.

(Photo courtesy MS Emergency Management)

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace reported that Rankin County has operated a team of three drones, searching all Saturday night and into Sunday morning, using infrared cameras to detect body heat signals. A K-9 team was also deployed in addition to several boats on the water.

The strike force teams searched a wide range of area focused mainly on the east side of the river and the Davis Island area.

(Photo courtesy MS Emergency Management)

Emergency Management Director John Elfer says a decade of training and working together has allowed the strike team to organize and execute a wide range of resources to aid the search effort.

“Emergency Management is here to support all those agencies, we’ve got good cooperation from our state partners as well,” Elfer said. “We’re not going anywhere.”