Ca'zhia McMillian 6, May Have Fallen In River 03/24/09, Spring Lake NC [BODY FOUND]

[sarahhod]

Daylight brings renewed river search for 6-year-old girl

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2009/03/25/4807372/girl-220x165.jpg
Posted: Today at 7:02 a.m.



Spring Lake, N.C. — Rescue crews were continuing their search Wednesday for Ca'zhia McMillian, a missing 6-year-old girl who might have fallen into the Little River on Tuesday afternoon.
Overnight, dogs searched along the river's edge, and crews used a boat with sonar to look for Ca'zhia.
She went missing at about 4:30 p.m. near 229 Woodwind Drive in Spring Lake, off Riverwind Drive. Another child walking with Ca'zhia showed authorities were she might have fallen into the river.
“Not knowing is the toughest part right now,” said Ervin McNeill, Ca'zhia's grandfather.

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/2009/03/25/4807550/livevidthumb-369-80x60.jpg (http://www.wral.com/news/video/4807539/)
WATCH LIVE VIDEO (http://www.wral.com/news/video/4807539/)
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On Tuesday, dive teams, water rescuers and volunteers used a helicopter and boats to search for the girl, the Harnett County Sheriff's Office said.
About 100 personnel from Harnett and Cumberland counties were helping with the search. The brush around the river and tough terrain made it difficult to get boats into the water in the area.
"The current is very strong in the river right now. There is a lot of debris as well, and we are concerned with it being night about being able to be safe," Sheriff Larry Rollins said Tuesday.
The water was about 40 degrees, making it more difficult for someone in the water to survive than it would be in warmer weather.


[URL]http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4807283/ (http://www.wral.com/news/video/4807539/)

[Roamer]

Poor little girl! :sad0119:

[sarahhod]

Rescue crews search for girl in Harnett County river

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/news_briefs/2009/03/24/4806212/adam1-220x165.jpg
Posted: Mar. 24 7:45 p.m.
Updated: Mar. 24 11:26 p.m.


Spring Lake, N.C. — Dive teams, water rescuers and volunteers were searching Tuesday evening for a 6-year-old girl in the Little River, the Harnett County Sheriff's Office said.

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/news_briefs/2009/03/24/4806312/54142-adam-80x60.jpg (http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/video/4806312/)
WATCH VIDEO (http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/video/4806312/)
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The girl, whose name was not released, went missing at about 4:30 p.m. near 229 Woodwind Drive in Spring Lake and off of Riverwind Drive. Another child walking with the missing girl pointed out to authorities were she may have fallen into the river.
A helicopter searched for the girl by air, and boats were used to look for her in the river. About 100 personnel from Harnett and Cumberland counties were helping with the search.
“Not knowing is the toughest part right now,” said Ervin McNeill, grandfather of missing girl.
The brush around the river and tough terrain made it difficult to get boats into the water quickly.
"The current is very strong in the river right now. There is a lot of debris as well, and we are concerned with it being night about being able to be safe," Sheriff Larry Rollins said.
The water is around 40 degrees and the darkness made searching difficult late Tuesday. Rescue workers plan to continue looking for the girl overnight and into the early morning.


[URL]http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4805268/ (http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/video/4806312/)

[sarahhod]

Published on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Family prays as search for girl continues

By Gregory Phillips
Staff writer

Rescue workers are continuing to search this morning for a 6-year-old girl who is believed to have fallen into the Lower Little River on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’re just doing all we can and hoping for the best, but it’s hard to say,” Gary Pope said this morning.
He is the director of Harnett County’s Emergency Management Center.
Workers searched through the night for the girl, who was identified by family members as Ca’zhia McMillan. They used sonar and tracking dogs along a three-mile stretch in the thick brush along the banks of the river that forms the border of Harnett and Cumberland counties on Elliott Bridge Road.
Six rescue boats are being used and divers will join the search this morning. More tracking dogs have been brought in.
A Highway Patrol helicopter was searching from the air as daylight broke this morning.
“We’ve been grabbing resources from across the state,” Pope said. “Anything we can grab.”
McMillan was playing at a friend’s home on the 300 block of Riverwind Drive in the Tradewinds subdivision when she fell, according to Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Denise Goins, McMillan’s aunt, said she believed it was McMillan’s first time playing back near the river. Normally, she said, the girl stayed in front of the house. But the children went in the backyard and the friend saw McMillan fall.
The river’s current is moving at a rate of between five and six miles per hour, Pope said, and the water temperature is in the 50s.
Family members stayed at the scene overnight.
“It’s been terrifying,” Goins said.
“We’ve been praying,” she said. “There’s not much talking you can do. It’s in the Lord’s hands. That’s all I can say.”


http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322033

[packy]

My prayers for Ca'zhia and her family.

I wonder if her little friend actually saw her fall into the water.

[sarahhod]

Search Continues For Missing Girl In Lower Little River

By NBC17, NBC17,


SPRING LAKE, N.C.
The search continues for missing 6-year-old girl, Chazhia McMillian, believed to have fallen in the Lower Little River in Harnett County.
According to the Flat Branch Fire Chief T.J. McLamb, McMillian's mother called Harnett County Sheriff's Office around 5:30 Tuesday and said McMillian fell off a 30 foot cliff into the Little River near 229 Woodwind Dr. in Spring Lake.
The Sheriff's office says McMillian was playing with another another at the time of the fall. Authorities say McMillian's friend ran back to tell an adult about the fall.
Rescue crews said the river is higher than normal at 4 to 5 feet deep and the recent rain is causing a fast current.
Twenty emergency crews, a Johnston County canine unit and sonar equipment were being used in the search overnight.
But up to a hundred rescue crew members could be out again during the day to help with the search.

McLamb said six search boats will go into the river today.

Authorities said they haven't found anything belonging to the missing girl.
According to family members, McMillian was wearing a black jacket and tennis shoes.



http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/30441/search-continues-for-missing-girl-in-little-river/

[packy]

Oh, so sad. Thanks, Sarahhod, some of the articles made it seem like she may have fallen but no detail, so I guess I was hoping it could be a mistake.

[sarahhod]

3/25/2009 12:36:00 PM http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/SiteImages/Article/105677a.jpg
Top photo, the banks are steep and the water is swift in the Upper Little River into which 6-year-old Ca'zhia McMillian fell. Top left, is one of the six boats being used in the search. Bottom photo above, Harnett County Sheriff's Maj. Gary McNeill, left, and others involved in the search for the child look up at a North Carolina Highway Patrol search helicopter. The Lower Little River, which is the center of the search, is shown in the background. http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/image/cleardot.gif http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/SiteImages/Article/105677b.jpg Above, family members of the missing child leave a briefing with rescue workers this morning. -Daily Record Photos/Tom Woerner

Girl Missing In River
All-Night Search Continues Today

BRIAN HANEY and TOM WOERNER For The Record

The search continued this morning for a 6-year-old girl who fell into the Upper Little River near the Cumberland County line yesterday afternoon.

Rescue crews have been searching for Ca'zhia McMillian since yesterday evening when a call came into the Harnett County Sheriff's Office that a young girl had fallen into the river in the Flat Branch community.

Ca'zhia was reportedly playing in the backyard of a friend's house. The Upper Little River runs 50 yards behind the home.

"She didn't live right here," Harnett Sheriff's Maj. Gary McNeill said, "but she lived in the neighborhood."

Harnett County Emergency Services Director Gary Pope said the call came in yesterday around 5:37 p.m.

Immediately, rescue teams across Harnett County and beyond came out to the house on Riverwind Drive in the Tradewinds subdivision.

"We had dive teams in yesterday as soon as the call came in," Mr. Pope said. "They searched as late as they could last night and then we carried on the search in the wildlife."

Mr. Pope said boats were used last night to search the riverbank with floodlights.

The search is utilizing services from far beyond Harnett County's borders. Mr. Pope said a sonar team was brought in from Vance County as well as cadaver dogs from the Johnston County Sheriff's Office.

A helicopter from the state Highway Patrol is also being used in the search. More canine teams are coming in today.

"We've got a lot of teams working to find her," Mr. Pope said. "There are six boats searching the river right now."

A mobile command center has been set up near where Ca'zhia was last seen, in the front yard of the home where she was reportedly playing with a friend.

Mr. Pope said teams were searching from Elliott Bridge Road in the Flat Branch community all the way to Linden.

"It's a huge area," he said. "The river's running so fast where it's up, going about four or five miles an hour.

"That's what we're fighting against," he said, "the current's so strong."

He said Dunn and Erwin departments are working their way up the river from the Linden area while everyone else is searching the area near where Ca'zhia was last seen.

While Mr. Pope said an eyewitness saw the girl fall into the river, there is a possibility she may have gotten caught on something or managed to climb out onto land.

"We're continuing our rescue effort until we run out of resources and our efforts here," he said. "We still hope there will be some hope that maybe she got out somewhere."

Harnett County Emergency Services personnel met with family members just after 8 a.m. to provide an update on progress in the search.

"We just wanted to let them know what we are planning to do next," Maj. McNeill said.

He said the search today will look much the same as last night, when more than 100 people were involved in trying to find the girl.

"We're just continuing to search," Mr. Pope, "and still hope that maybe... we're going to go as long as we can and hope for the best."

http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=105677&TM=45532.59

[sarahhod]

Rescue Workers Search For Girl Who Fell In River

POSTED: 11:01 am EDT March 25, 2009
UPDATED: 11:38 am EDT March 25, 2009


HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. -- Rescue workers in Harnett County returned Wednesday to the location along the Lower Little River where a 6-year-old girl fell in Tuesday evening.

http://www.wxii12.com/2009/0325/19009958_180X135.jpg (http://www.wxii12.com/news/19009865/detail.html#)
Cazhia McMillian, 6, went missing after falling into a Harnett County river [/URL]


Raleigh NBC affiliate WNCN said the girl, Cazhia McMillian, fell off a 30-foot cliff.Harnett County Sheriff's Department officials said the girl was playing with a friend at the time of the fall. The friend ran to tell an aunt."It's been terrifying, just terrible. You know, she's a smart girl. She's an A student. She's loved. We love her and we just want her to go ahead and be found," one family member said.Rescue crews told the station that the river is higher than normal, at 4 to 5 feet deep, and the recent rain is causing a fast current.Several boats were sent into the river Wednesday to search for the girl.

[url]http://www.wxii12.com/news/19009865/detail.html (http://www.wxii12.com/news/19009865/detail.html)

[TwinEMS]

I live here in Harnett County. Praying for the family and friends of the beautiful litte girl. It's so sad and the clock is ticking. :1187603408.CR.Mothe

Also remember to pray for all involved in the search. The river current can be so dangerous for those trying to locate her. My boyfriend and brother are both Harnett County Deputys so I am always wispering a pray for all involved, my parents taught me when I was a small child that when I see an ambulance or police with lights on to pray for whoever they were repsonding to AND the resuce workers.

[TwinEMS]

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4807283/


Search for missing girl enters third day


Posted: Mar. 25 7:02 a.m.
Updated: 15 minutes ago

Spring Lake, N.C. — Dive teams and rescue crews from Harnett and Cumberland counties plan to scale back their search overnight for Ca'zhia McMillian, a missing 6-year-old girl who authorities say fell into the Little River on Tuesday afternoon.

About 100 people were involved in the search Wednesday by air, by land and on the water near where a friend said Ca'zhia fell into the water. Tracking dogs helped search the riverbanks, and crews used sonar on the water.

Crews have four boats in the water and are maintaining a command center overnight. They plan to ramp up search efforts at first light Thursday.


Search for girl in Little River continues

The search focused on a 5-mile stretch of the river, and searchers said Wednesday they still considered the effort a rescue operation and not a recovery mission. They said they hold out hope Ca'zhia was safe along the riverbank.

The river was 6 to 8 feet deep, and the water temperature was about 40 degrees, authorities said, making it more difficult for someone in the water to survive than it would be in warmer weather.

"We've had a little bit of change in the river," Flat Branch Fire Chief T.J. McLamb said. "It has dropped since (Tuesday). We're still at 4 or 5 miles per hour as far as the current."

In addition to the current, Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said, debris along the banks of the river also posed a danger to searchers.

"The search area is quite broad. We're looking at all possibilities. We've got boats in a long ways down, as far as we can go downstream," said Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff's Office.

Ca'zhia was reported missing at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday near 229 Woodwind Drive in Spring Lake, off Riverwind Drive. She and a friend were playing on the riverbank when she fell in, according to her aunt, Denise Goins.

Ca'zhia isn't a strong swimmer, Goins said, and all family members could do was hope and pray.

"We've been praying to the Lord. It's terrifying. There's not much talking you can do," Goins said. "It's in the Lord's hands, that's all I can say. Everything is in the Lord's hands."

As the light of day faded Wednesday, family members continued to maintain a constant vigil near the search area.

"We're pretty devastated right now. We just want her to be found,” said Elizabeth McMillian, Ca'zhia's aunt.

“Not knowing is the toughest part right now,” said Ervin McNeill, Ca'zhia's grandfather.

Ca'zhia is a first-grader at Anderson Creek Primary School. Her family said school staff and people throughout the community have been very supportive during this tough time.

Sherry Darrigan lives near the river and runs a nearby convenience store. She said she opened four hours early Wednesday so she could provide fuel and coffee for the rescue workers.

“Everybody tries to pull together during times like this, whether you know the family or not. It’s really a good community and it's kind of like when something happens to their family, it's like it happens to your family,” Darrigan said.

[sarahhod]

Weather hinders search for missing girl

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2009/03/25/4807372/girl-220x165.jpg


Spring Lake, N.C. — Rain hindered the search for a missing 6-year-old girl who authorities say fell into the Little River on Tuesday afternoon. Wet weather kept divers and boats off the river early Thursday, and rescuers used the hiatus as an opportunity to rest.
Some rescuers have been searching for Ca'zhia McMillian for close to 36 hours. They rested early Thursday as rain drenched the area. Crews planned to resume the search during daylight hours and scan along the river's bank.
Officials said they were concerned about rising water levels and the fast current due to the rain.

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2009/03/26/4815809/54316-sca-80x60.jpg (http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4815809/)
WATCH VIDEO (http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4815809/)
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About 100 people were involved in the search Wednesday by air, by land and on the water near where a friend said Ca'zhia fell into the water. Tracking dogs helped search the riverbanks, and crews used sonar on the water.
The search focused on a 5-mile stretch of the river, and searchers said Wednesday they still considered the effort a rescue operation and not a recovery mission. They said they hold out hope Ca'zhia was safe along the riverbank.
The river was 6 to 8 feet deep, and the water temperature was about 40 degrees, authorities said, making it more difficult for someone in the water to survive than it would be in warmer weather.
"We've had a little bit of change in the river," Flat Branch Fire Chief T.J. McLamb said. "It has dropped since (Tuesday). We're still at 4 or 5 miles per hour as far as the current."
In addition to the current, Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said, debris along the banks of the river also posed a danger to searchers.
"The search area is quite broad. We're looking at all possibilities. We've got boats in a long ways down, as far as we can go downstream," said Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff's Office.
Ca'zhia was reported missing at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday near 229 Woodwind Drive in Spring Lake, off Riverwind Drive. She and a friend were playing on the riverbank when she fell in, according to her aunt, Denise Goins.
Ca'zhia isn't a strong swimmer, Goins said, and all family members could do was hope and pray.
"We've been praying to the Lord. It's terrifying. There's not much talking you can do," Goins said. "It's in the Lord's hands, that's all I can say. Everything is in the Lord's hands."
As the light of day faded Wednesday, family members continued to maintain a vigil near the search area.
"We're pretty devastated right now. We just want her to be found,” said Elizabeth McMillian, Ca'zhia's aunt.
“Not knowing is the toughest part right now,” said Ervin McNeill, Ca'zhia's grandfather.
Ca'zhia is a first-grader at Anderson Creek Primary School. Her family said school staff and people throughout the community have been very supportive during this tough time.
Sherry Darrigan lives near the river and runs a nearby convenience store. She said she opened four hours early Wednesday so she could provide fuel and coffee for the rescue workers.
“Everybody tries to pull together during times like this, whether you know the family or not. It’s really a good community and it's kind of like when something happens to their family, it's like it happens to your family,” Darrigan said.


[URL]http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4815719/ (http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4815809/)

[myheartgoesout]

People need to come out and help with the search.

[Grande]

Published on Thursday, March 26, 2009
Search for missing girl to resume this morning
A staff report

SPRING LAKE — After an overnight hiatus in the search for 6-year-old Ca’ziah McMillian, rescue workers planned today to use more divers in the Lower Little River and to recheck areas that had already been searched.

Ca’zhia has been missing since Tuesday afternoon when, according to another child, she fell into the river, which runs behind the Tradewinds subdivision where both live.

Overnight rain made the slope to the river bank a little slicker this morning, said Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.

But that shouldn’t hamper search efforts too much, he said.

McNeill said divers will recheck areas that were searched Wednesday and also examine a logjam about a mile downstream that water can get under but that boats can’t get past.

Searchers are also using boats and walking the river’s banks with tracking dogs.

McNeill said the 6-year-old friend who reported seeing Ca’ziah fall into the river has been interviewed three times by investigators to check for any additional details that could help with the search.

“We’ll go over it and over it to make sure we’re not missing anything,” he said.

Ca’ziah’s family and friends gathered again this morning at the search site, where a tent and chairs and been set up for them.

Nelson Cherry, Ca’ziah’s grandfather, said he hadn’t slept since the girl went missing. “I’m old and stupid to stay up like this,” he said.

Cherry said he had known the river ran behind the neighborhood but hadn’t known it was so close to the houses. He said a fence should have been installed when the houses were built.

“That should have been done by the developer from day one,” he said.

The spot where Ca’zhia reportedly fell into the river is behind homes on Riverwind Drive, a block over and several hundred yards from her home. A natural path between two homes leads from the road down a steep slope to the tree-lined bank of the river, which marks the boundary between Cumberland and Harnett counties.

Family members said they had never known Ca’ziah to play there. They said she can’t swim.

“We’re going to put fresh eyes, fresh divers in, because we know we can miss things,” McNeill said. “We’re going to explore every conceivable way this could have happened to make sure we aren’t missing anything.”

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322124

[Faith]

3/26/2009 12:27:00 PM

Missing Girl Search Continues

Tom Woerner
Harnett County News Editor

Harnett County dive teams were back on the scene at day break today in a southern Harnett County neighborhood where they believe a 6-year-old girl fell in the Upper Little River Tuesday afternoon.

The dive team members responded as part of an effort to step up the search for Ca'zhia McMillian on Riverwinds Drive off Elliott Bridge Road in the Anderson Creek area of the county. She was playing near the banks of the river with a friend who said she fell in.

Flat Branch Fire Chief T.J. McLamb said the search was scaled back during the night because of debris in the river that could be dangerous to divers in the dark.

"There are a lot of curves in the river and things out there that make it dangerous," Chief McLamb said.

More than 100 searchers were on the scene, in the water and on the river banks, throughout the day Wednesday and came back this morning. Divers were using a combination of underwater cameras and sonar equipment to aid them in the search

Angier-Black River Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief and rescue diver Lee Marshall was in the water Wednesday and were on the way back this morning. He said he anticipated conditions would be better.

"The river is down some this morning so we should be able to see pretty good," he said. "It is dark on top but when you get in there it is pretty clear."

He said visibility in the 4 to 5 feet water is 2 to 3 feet for divers and rains shouldn't have a lot of effect on that immediately.

"It won't start getting murky until stuff starts running off the fields," he said. "Right now it is slowing down a little bit."

The search is now up river approximately five miles from the spot where Ca'zhia was last seen. The Upper Little River feeds into the Cape Fear River near Erwin but the search has not extended that far.

Searchers, with K-9 units helping them, said they thought Ca'zhia could have been as far as the bridge on U.S. 401, west of the scene.

Harnett County Sheriff's Maj. Gary McNeill said he is not ready to give up at this point despite more than 36 hours of searching.

"We have a goal to find her and we are going to keep searching and playing it day by day until we do that," Maj. McNeill said.

Harnett County Emergency Services Director Gary Pope said it could go on for several days.

"We are going to keep on until we accomplish what we want to accomplish," he said. "It is just taking us some time because it is a long river. There are a lot of points we still need to get to."

Mr. Marshall said workers didn't dive during the night hours but searched land areas. There were boats on the surface of the water. He said all the work is tiring.

"We want to go home and rest but we also want that little girl out of the water," he said.

Maj. McNeill said they are constantly updating plans as the search continues.

"We are looking at where we are about every six hours," he said.

It was an emotional scene as family members, friends and staff members from Anderson Creek School, where Ca'zhia attended classes, anxiously waited.

Deborah Boone said she and the missing child's mother are best friends. Their children played together. She clutched a small picture of Ca'zhia as she waited.

"It was really almost like we are family," she said. "She is such a sweet nice child. I just pray she is OK."

Anderson Creek Principal Leanne O'Quinn came to the scene with two of Ca'zhia's teachers, who held back tears as they battled dropping temperatures and a light drizzle.

They said the child was in school the day of the accident.

"She was just an excellent student," Anderson Creek first grade teacher Chrystal Woodall said.

Mrs. O'Quinn remains hopeful.

"We are lifting her up on high and praying for the best," she said. "That is all we can do at this point."

She said staff members are on hand at her school to help students who might be upset about Ca'zhia.

Neighbors in the Tradewinds subdivision report they have seen Ca'zhia playing in the streets but not near the scene of the accident until Tuesday when they saw the children going in that direction.

"This is the first time I have seen them going near the river," said Zac Keefer, who lives across the road from the accident scene. "They are outside all the time, playing in the yards and the streets."

http://www.mydailyrecord.com/SiteImages/Article/105730a.jpg
Flat Blanch Fire Department Chief T.J. McLamb, left, and Harnett County Sheriff's Maj. Gary McNeill brief members of the media about the search for missing Ca'zhia McMillian late Wednesday. The search continues today. Inset: Ca'zhia -Daily Record Photo/Tom Woerner

http://www.mydailyrecord.com/SiteImages/Article/105730b.jpg
Neighbors in the Tradewinds subdivision wait for news of the missing girl. - Daily Record Photo/Tom Woerner

http://www.mydailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=105730

[Amusedtdth]

Oh how awful....my prayers are with family and searchers as well as little Ca'zhia.

[sarahhod]

River's level, speed a factor in search for girl

By Gregory Phillips
Staff writer

http://www.fayobserver.com/photos/2009/03/3river0327bcc-scaled.jpg
Staff photo by Octavio Jones Danny McKoy gets pinned with a ribbon by Bridget McNeill on Thursday during the search for Ca’ziah McMillian.
[/URL]


SPRING LAKE — Rescue workers searching for 6-year-old Ca’zhia McMillian in the fast-moving Lower Little River on Thursday rejected any distinction between trying to rescue a little girl who could be alive and recovering her body.
“If you ask our people on the river working, there’s no difference to them,” said Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. “We have the hope of a successful rescue.”
He said the time that has elapsed since Ca’zhia was last seen “does not change the intensity of what we’re doing.”
Ca’zhia has been missing since Tuesday afternoon, when a friend said she saw her fall into the river that runs behind the Tradewinds subdivision where they both live.
Divers on Thursday continued to search underwater with infrared cameras and sonar. Crews in boats scoured the surface, while searchers with tracking dogs made their way along four miles or so of the banks on either side of the river, which forms the border between Harnett and Cumberland counties.
Fire Chief T.J. McLamb of the Flat Branch Volunteer Fire Department said the river level dropped Thursday, which helped searchers. But it remained higher than usual at between 5 feet and 6 feet where Ca’zhia reportedly fell in. And its current still was moving swiftly at about 5mph.
Ropes were strung across the river to keep boats tied in one spot while the drivers communicated by radio with divers who were weighted down to keep them under the surface and from being carried away by the rapid water.
The extra effort needed to search in a strong current extended the divers’ recovery time between dives, McNeill said.
The divers were set to be pulled out after dark, but boats would continue to scan the surface. McNeill said rescue teams from across the state were ready to join the effort today.
People have offered to help in the search, including residents of the Tradewinds subdivision and some soldiers. Their offers have been declined because of safety and coordination issues, McLamb said.
“Unless you’re specifically called to help us, we’d prefer you to stay back and pray for the family,” he said.
McNeill said this is not a typical land search. The river is only accessible in a few spots, and the banks are uneven and dense with trees and brush that mask drop-offs of up to 20 feet.
“We’re dealing with a fast-moving river,” he said. “If they (volunteers) fall in the river on their own, that’s someone else we have to find.”
McNeill said the elementary school-age girl who reported seeing Ca’zhia fall into the river had been interviewed three times by investigators for any additional details that could help with the search.
“We’ll go over it and over it to make sure we’re not missing anything,” he said.
Ca’zhia’s family and friends gathered again at the search site, where a tent and chairs were set up for them. Family members passed out white ribbons adorned with pink hearts to the group awaiting news.
“Pink was her favorite color,” said Tierra Morrisey, one of the relatives.
The spot where Ca’zhia reportedly fell into the river is behind homes on Riverwind Drive. It is a block over and several hundred yards from her home. A natural path between two homes leads from the road down a long, steep slope to the tree-lined bank of the river.
Family members said they had never known Ca’zhia to play there. They said she can’t swim.
The two back yards divided by the path have become a staging area, filled with six trucks, two trailers and four tents where divers prep for their turns under water. Down at the river’s edge, the eerie silence was interrupted by the babbling of the current and communication between the men in boats as they scanned the greenish-brown river.
On the street, efforts were coordinated in the Harnett County Mobile Command Center, a customized recreational vehicle set up to manage communication between the various search teams. In a conference room at the back of the bus, a flat-screen TV displayed weather reports across from a revolving white board with the river drawn on it in blue marker. Notes showed the location of logjams and which areas had been searched.
Nelson Cherry, Ca’zhia’s grandfather, said he hadn’t slept since the girl went missing. For the third night in a row, he didn’t plan to go far from the search site.
“If they find her tonight,” he said Thursday, “we’ll be right around the corner.”


[URL]http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322239 (http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322238)

:1187603408.CR.Mothe

God bless all the rescuer's who are desperately searching for Ca'zhia. It must be a real tough job.

Prayers for Ca'zhia's friends and family at this terrible time.:1222423::1222423:

[TwinEMS]

We have had alot of rain and even tornadoes in this area tonight and more bad weather expected tomorrow. The weather was awful tonight. They are suppose to resume searching Saturday morning at 5am but I imagine the weather is hindering the search.

[sarahhod]

Published on Saturday, March 28, 2009

More divers join search for girl

By Jennifer Calhoun
Staff writer

SPRING LAKE — The search for Ca'zhia McMillian will shut down when storms hit this evening, then resume when the weather clears, an official from the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office said today.
Sheriff’s Maj. Eddie Holder said officials still hope to find the 6-year-old girl, who was reported to have fallen into the Lower Little River Tuesday.
Holder said more divers showed up for the search Saturday. Some came from as far as Avery and Henderson counties, in the western part of the state, and have more experience diving in swiftly moving river waters, Holder said.
The river is running about 4 mph to 7 mph, a current considered to be much quicker than most rivers in the region, Holder said.
About 30 to 35 divers are looking for the girl, although some are manning boats and not in the water, Holder said. More than 100 rescuers are participating in the search.
The state Highway Patrol is searching by air. Other boats are patrolling different parts of the river.
The river is like “a great, deep ditch,” said Holder, and the water is anywhere from two feet to eight feet in depth.
Ca’Zhia was playing with a friend Tuesday at a home in the Tradewinds neighborhood off Elliott Bridge Road when the friend said she fell into the water.
The family of Ca’Zhia, a student at Anderson Creek Elementary School, has kept a vigil at the site since Tuesday, Holder said.
Rescue crews plan to continue the search for “a couple more days,” he said.
“We’re always hoping,” he said. “I’ve heard of rescues after a week or more.”



http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322355

[myheartgoesout]

I went out and searched for awhile today. But the search has been called off. I hope they plan to come back out.

[sarahhod]

Rescuers continue search for girl

The Fayetteville Observer

Published: Mon, Mar. 30, 2009 02:00AM
Modified Sun, Mar. 29, 2009 09:50PM


SPRING LAKE -- Rescue workers continued searching Sunday for the 6-year-old girl who was reported to have fallen into the Lower Little River last week but have had no luck, said Maj. Eddie Holder of the Harnett County Sheriff's Office.
The search is to resume at 7 a.m. today.
Ca'zhia McMillian has been missing since Tuesday afternoon. A friend said she saw Ca'zhia fall into the river behind the Tradewinds subdivision, where she lives.
Though Sunday was clear, the weekend's heavy rain hampered the search, Holder said. The river has risen several feet, and rescuers could not maneuver their boats in the swift current, he said. Divers hope to get into the water today.
With the water inaccessible, workers manned checkpoints to watch for any sign of Ca'zhia, and a state Highway Patrol helicopter searched from the air.
"It's been a long five days now, and I hope something good comes out of it," Holder said.
Holder said new divers joined the search Saturday, some coming from as far as Avery and Henderson counties. Holder said they have more experience diving in swiftly moving river waters. More than 100 rescuers are participating in the search.
The Lower Little River is running 4 mph to 7 mph, a current considered to be much quicker than most rivers in the region, Holder said.
The family of Ca'zhia, a student at Anderson Creek Elementary School, has kept a vigil at the site since Tuesday, Holder said.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1463529.html

[sarahhod]

Search for Ca’ziah suspended (http://blogs.fayobserver.com/faytoz/2009/03/30/search-for-caziah-suspended/)

Our rivers aren’t dropping and that’s bad news for the people searching for 6-year-old Ca’ziah McMillian (http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322355), who apparently fell in the Lower Little River Tuesday afternoon. The weekend’s rain raised the river’s level by several feet and that’s made it impossible for boats and divers to search, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. The office says it will evaluate the river’s conditions each day and develop plans on continuing the search.

[emmeblu]

This is just an extremely sad situation for the family of this little girl.
:1187603408.CR.Mothe

Prayers for Ca'zhia and her family.

[sarahhod]

Officials suspend search for girl

From staff and wire reports
Published: Tue, Mar. 31, 2009 02:00AM

Modified Mon, Mar. 30, 2009 11:30PM


High water after Saturday's rain forced officials to suspend their search for a 6-year-old girl who was reported to have fallen into the Lower Little River last week, the Harnett County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
Ca'zhia McMillian has been missing since Tuesday afternoon. A friend said she saw her fall into the river behind the Tradewinds subdivision northeast of Spring Lake, where she lives.
The Lower Little River is several feet higher than normal, preventing boats and divers from searching for Ca'zhia, the sheriff's office said.
"The conditions on the river will be evaluated each day," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Plans are being developed to continue the search."

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1464825.html

[annalyzer]

Rescuers Running Out Of Options

By Brian Haney and Tom Woerner
4/2/2009 10:47:00 AM

As rescue workers clear more of the Lower Little River and exhaust more resources in their search for the Anderson Creek girl who reportedly fell in the river while playing with a friend, the search is becoming more focused.

Harnett County Emergency Services Director Gary Pope briefed county commissioners at a work session yesterday.

Mr. Pope brought a map that showed a 1.3-mile stretch of the river where the search has been concentrated. The map extends from Elliot Bridge Road, near where 6-year-old Ca'zhia McMillian was said to have fallen in the river, to Wire Road, where a significant log jam would have made that point more difficult to pass.

Rescue workers in boats and a helicopter have searched the river much farther, all the way to Linden where the Lower Little River empties into the Cape Fear.

Mr. Pope's map is marked at eight specific areas. Points range from the spot where Ca'zhia was last seen to a log jam a little more than a mile down the river.

Point five marks where the first canine was alerted.

"We really dissected that area," Mr. Pope said. "Whenever we get an alert from a dog we send divers in, sonar cameras and all that is inspected."

Ca'zhia was reportedly wearing washed blue jeans, a black jacket and shirt on the day she was last seen.

Mr. Pope said rescue workers have found clothing, but nothing they could attribute to Ca'zhia.

"We are getting to the point now where we have exhausted all means to perform this operation," Mr. Pope said yesterday. "We have to scale things down, but we are still trying to do some type of operation every day until Sunday."

The search has been divided into two parts: Above the water and below. Operations above the water are scheduled to continue through the week. Special teams will be sent below the surface if areas of interest are found.

Sunday, Mr. Pope said, the situation would be reevaluated and a decision will be made as how to progress.

Since Ca'zhia was last seen eight days ago, Mr. Pope estimated that more than 200 dive missions have been conducted by 11 dive teams from across the state.

There have been 15 sonar missions, 25 canine missions, 10 underwater infrared camera missions, daily boat recon missions, seven days of ground searches, six days of helicopter searches and five days spent dragging the river.

In addition to all the Harnett County agencies involved in the search, help has come from Johnston, Sampson, Cumberland, New Hanover, Henderson, Avery, Wayne, Moore, Guilford, Robeson, Wake and Chatham counties.

"We've had a lot of people come to Harnett County to help us," Mr. Pope said.

All searches have turned up the same result.

The Red Cross has prepared more than 1,000 meals for those involved in the search. Citizens have also donated food and drink.

Mr. Pope said every squad has incurred a cost in the search, but none of that is important.

"We're not worrying about the money," he said. "Budgets allow for these situations. We're just worrying about getting the job done."

He said he wanted to thank all the volunteer fire and rescue and EMS squads across the county and state who have assisted in the search. He said he appreciated their continued efforts.

A Harsh Environment

Neither the river nor the weather have been kind to rescue workers since shortly after the search began.

Several days of heavy rain delayed search efforts and made the river, at times, too dangerous to maneuver.

Mr. Pope spoke of a pine tree that had fallen across the river. At one point boats had passed underneath it. Just days later, the boats were traveling over the same tree.

The good news, Mr. Pope said, is that the river had come down a foot Tuesday and continued to fall yesterday. Unfortunately, with the promise of more rain for the area, it could go back up in the coming days.

On really good days, visibility underwater has been as much as 3 to 6 feet, though that hasn't been the same in all parts of the river.

Night searches have utilized boats with lights to go over the surface of the water and the banks along the river.

Mr. Pope said the search effort has averaged more than 120 people a day. The most rescue workers on a single day was 160.

"That's a lot of people to manage," he said.

At one point, there were 12 boats out on the river with 40 divers in the water.

Mr. Pope explained conditions in the river are harsh, even for trained rescue workers.

There is a great deal of debris in the river and log jams that make passage difficult. There is even debris left from Hurricane Fran, which passed through more than a decade ago.

"We've been fighting all kinds of battles," he said. "We've worked in the rain, we've worked in a tornado warning. Conditions have just been ugly."

At times divers have had to tie nearly 100 pounds of weight to their suits just to combat the river's current.

Whether the mission has shifted from rescue to recovery, Harnett Sheriff's Maj. Gary McNeill said it wasn't an issue for him.

"We continue to evaluate each day based on the information (we have) and what is on the river and everything else so it's an ongoing process," he said.

Even after nearly a week and a half of searching, new methods are still being employed.

Dunn Emergency Services received two donated jet skis yesterday that will be used in the search.

Mr. Pope also received a call from a woman in Ohio who lost her son years ago. Since then, she has dedicated her life to offering her help in these types of situations.

"She's got a true canine water dog," Mr. Pope said, "and I'm hoping to fly it in later this week."

While the search has utilized numerous dogs that are skilled in both land and water searches, this dog is more specifically designed to handle water searches.

Family Not Convinced

Questions have been raised in recent days about the efforts being made to find Ca'zhia, specifically from the girl's family who are understandably frustrated Ca'zhia has yet to be found.

"I don't feel like they are doing what they are supposed to," stepfather Ernest McNeill said this morning.

Mr. McNeill said the family has been told time is running out for the search.

"We need more information," he said. "They won't tell us what the divers say."

He said he feels other aspects of the case need to be investigated.

"They don't have evidence she is even in the river," he said. "They haven't knocked on doors. They don't know that somebody hasn't snatched her. They just went with what a 7-year-old said."

He said if Ca'zhia fell in the river some kind of evidence would have been found.

"She wears seven or eight hair bows every day," he said. "They should have found one. I don't know what happened but I don't believe she is in the river."

Ca'zhia's mother, Sharonda McNeill, said in recent days she thought her daughter may have been pushed into the river by the girl she was playing with that day.

The accusation angered the child's aunt who asked to remain anonymous.

"I understand a mother's grief," she said, "but ... (my niece) would never push someone in, especially when it was her best friend."

Maj. McNeill said the sheriff's office has looked into other possibilities, but has no reason to suspect any foul play.

"We think it happened exactly the way it was reported," he said. "We have no reason to believe something else might have occurred."

"This is one of the longest (searches) we've had in many years without locating someone," Mr. Pope said. "We're doing everything humanly possible to find that little girl."

http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=105906

[grammybears]

I am very sure this is so frustrating to this little girls family. I think if I was in their place I would be feeling the same way because of the frustration. I am not very happy about the comment the mother made about the little girl friend pushing her into the water.
There are so many different scenerios that could have happened. I would be praying for this baby to be found alive but with what I have read about how fast the water is moving it just does not seem likely that this baby was able to get out of the water by herself.

My prayers are with this family as they try to deal with this horrible tragedy. I am also praying for all the authorities and volunteers that are involved that they may be guided in to which area they should go to rescue this baby.

[sarahhod]

Published on Friday, April 03, 2009

Group to search for missing Harnett County girl on Saturday


SPRING LAKE — The search continues for 6-year-old Ca’zhia McMillian and now family and friends say they will join the effort.
Ca’zhia has been missing since March 24, when a playmate reported that the girl fell into the Lower Little River. The two were playing behind a home in the Tradwinds neighborhood off Elliott Bridge Road.
Searchers have taken to the river daily with boats, according to a release today from the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
But weather has hampered efforts, especially for divers. Heavy rain has kept the river several feet above its normal level, the release said.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Workman is asking people to join the search along the riverbanks.
Workman’s daughter is a classmate of Ca’zhia’s at Anderson Creek Primary School.
Workman said the brush is thick on the banks in the area of the river where Ca’zhia fell. She and a friend who went to the area had to use a machete to clear a trail in some spots, Workman said.
She has spoken with the owner of the land across the river from where Ca’zhia fell and the Sheriff’s Office. Both are aware of her plans, she said.
Those who are interested in helping are asked to be in the Wal-Mart parking lot near the garden center at 9 a.m. Saturday. The store is on N.C. 210.
People are asked to bring food, water and first-aid kits.
Workman can be reached at (910) 242-0255.


http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=322871

[emmeblu]

:cray:

Maybe this is not a case of this little girl falling in the river. It is stated in one of the links that no evidence was found where she fell in the river.
I sure hope that LE is also treating this like a kidnapping.

Prayers for this cute little girls family.
Praying for her safe return. :1222423:

[Nut44x4]

Body of missing Harnett girl found :1187603408.CR.Mothe

Posted: 20 minutes ago

Spring Lake, N.C. — The body of missing 6-year-old Ca'zhia McMillan was found Saturday, a family member told WRAL News.

Ca'zhia was playing with a friend on March 24 on the banks of the Lower Little River when she apparently fell into the water. The first-grader at Anderson Creek Primary School hadn't been seen since. No additional information was available about where the body was found. Maj. Gary McNeill of the Harnett County Sheriff's Office confirmed the search for the child was no longer active.

County personnel have ridden the river in boats daily searching for the child and the state Highway Patrol has flown over the area when the weather was clear, according to a release from the sheriff's office on Friday.

The Lower Little River had been at level several feet higher than normal after recent rainfalls, making a search by divers unsafe.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4890699/

[Roamer]

RIP, little one. :1222423::1222423::1222423:

[AmyE]

RIP Ca'zhia

[sarahhod]

Rest in Peace sweetie.

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[Harmony]

:sad0119:

:1222423: :1222423: RIP Ca 'zhia :1222423: :1222423:

[Faith]

Fly with the angels little one.

My prayers are with the family and friends.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/Sympathy/Sympathy.gif

[packy]

R.I.P. Ca'zhia. Bless her little soul.

My condolences to her family and friends.

And thanks to Myheartgoesout for helping with the search.

[sarahhod]

4/6/2009 12:49:00 PM http://www.mydailyrecord.com/SiteImages/Article/105986a.jpg
McMillian

It's Over: Missing Girl Found In River

TOM WOERNER For The Record

A rescue operation that stretched on for two weeks ended in tragedy Saturday afternoon when the body of a 6-year-old girl who fell in the Lower Little River was found by searchers in a boat.

Harnett County Sheriff's Maj Gary McNeill said the body of Ca'zhia McMillian, a first-grade student at Anderson Creek Primary School, was found approximately one mile from where she fell in the river. The body was found just after 1 p.m.

Emergency workers in a search boat riding the river found the child.

Maj. McNeill said all indications are that the accident occurred just as reported to his office and rescue officials. Another child who was playing with Ca'zhia said she fell in the river. The child quickly reported the incident to her parents, who then called emergency officials.

Ca'zhia's body will be taken to Chapel Hill for autopsy, which is standard procedure. Maj. McNeill said there is no further comment from the sheriff's office about the case.

The rescue boat was one of many that had been on the river since the March 24 accident. Divers, land search crews, air search patrols and search dogs were some of the other methods used to find the child.

A private search was also scheduled for Saturday morning.

Ca'Zhia's mother, Sharonda McNeill, had been critical of the search, saying enough was not being done and rescuers were not keeping family members updated regularly. Family members also believed Ca'Zhia may not have been in the river. However, Mrs. McNeill did say near the end of the search the family was getting more regular updates.

This morning Mrs. McNeill was in shock.

"It is still not sticking that she is not coming home," Mrs. McNeill said.

She said there are still things about the rescue operation she doesn't understand.

"I appreciate what they did and all the people who came out to help but I just don't know why it took them 10 days to find her," she said.

Mrs. McNeill said she hopes the body will be released today or Tuesday so the family can begin making funeral arrangements.

Neighbors in the Tradewinds subdivision near where the child fell in the river have had their lives disrupted since the search began but said they understood the need for the operation.

Matt Willis was in yard with his children Saturday. His house is five down from where the drowning occurred, with the dark waters of the river running just beyond his property line behind his house. He said the drowning has made him aware of the river's danger.

"We have just moved here and we haven't paid much attention to it being back there," Mr. Willis said. "This is a real wake up call. We have trained ours (children) not to go out of our site so I hope it isn't a problem."

One lady who did want to give her name had deep tracks in her yard from the many rescue vehicles that have been through her yard in recent days. She said emergency management staff members have told her the damage to her yard will be paid for and repaired.

http://www.mydailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=105986

Tonight at 7:30 there will be a debriefing at the Flat Branch Fire Department for searchers.

[annalyzer]

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee117/debra19561/Sympathy/sympathy-deepest.jpg

[emmeblu]

:1187603408.CR.Mothe

RIP little one!