Body Found Of Missing Rafter At Pocket Wilderness Area
Mikah Grant Went Into Raging Waters
Sunday posted April 26, 2010 Mikah Grant The body of a missing rafter at the Pocket Wilderness was found at 4:30 p.m. Monday. Emergency search and rescue officials have confirmed the body to be 29-year-old Mikah Grant. He was located by a man walking his dog who saw a body floating in the water at Willow Creek 30 feet from the creek bank and half a mile down from the command post. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department will handle the ongong investigation. Several responding agencies had been searching the Pocket Wilderness area since Sunday afternoon looking for the missing rafter.
Mr. Grant and a couple of friends came to the Pocket Wilderness area to enjoy a day of hiking and rafting, authorities said. One of Mikah's friends said Mikah and the other friend wanted to raft down the North Chickamauga Creek before they left for the day. Mikah's friend returned to where the others were waiting, but Mikah did not.
On Monday morning, there were four search units in the woods on foot and two searchers in the creek, including one person in a kayak and one person in a canoe. Agencies include: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue, Volunteer State Rescue, Hamilton County Emergency Services and Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. The North Chickamauga Creek is swollen and moving at a swift pace due to the significant rainfall received on Saturday, it was stated.
Update 4:30pm
HAMILTON COUNTY (WRCB) -- The body of the missing rafter has been found almost 24 hours after he disappeared. According to Amy Maxwell with Hamilton County Emergency Management, searchers found the body of Mikah Grant in the water of Willow Creek, a half mile from the command post operations. A man walking his dog reportedly found Grant's body about 30 feet from the creek bank.
Update 9am
HAMILTON COUNTY (WRCB) -- Searchers say the section of creek they are searching has swelled to a depth of seven to eight feet and the water is moving fast. Mikah Grant was last seen wearing black shorts and black shoes. Rescue workers say he is familiar with the area. He was out with friends, family and his girlfriend. Grant is 5'7" and 180 pounds. Searchers hope he made it to the banks of the creek and they are trying to beat the latest round of storms as they move in.
Update 8:30am
HAMILTON COUNTY (WRCB) -- Rescue workers have identified the missing rafter as 29 year old Mikah Grant. They say Grant was rafting with his girlfriend. Update 7:30am An update on the search and rescue going on in the Pocket Wilderness. Officials say the missing rafter is a 29 year old male. Sometime after 3 Sunday afternoon the victim along with some friends, were rafting when the friends noticed the victim's raft go pass without him. The group searched and were unable to locate him, that's when rescuers were called. Emergency workers searched until 9 pm, at that point it was too dark. They resumed early Monday morning. Right now rescue crews are doing a bank search, as soon as the skies clear, a rescue helicopter will join the search. Tennessee State Parks is in charge of the investigation.
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) Rescuers are searching the Pocket Wilderness for a missing rafter. Volunteer State Water Rescue and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department began the search Sunday evening around 6:30. The search was suspended until daylight Monday morning.
