David & Cheryl Merriken, Missing,[FOUND SAFE] Unicoi County, TN

[Faith]

BREAKING NEWS: Search under way for missing hikers

http://www.erwinrecord.net/images/Pics/Articles/20080509_missinghikercar.jpg
This Ford Focus was rented by David and Cheryl Merriken, who have gone missing in the mountains on the Tennessee and North Carolina border. It was discovered Friday about noon on Flat Top Mountain in Yancey County, N.C. (Anthony D. Piercy / The Erwin Record)


The car of two missing people was found just before noon Friday near the North Carolina line near Spivey Mountain.

Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department and Unaka Mountain Search and Rescue personnel began searching Thursday night for 59-year-old David Vernon Merriken and his wife, 48-year-old Cheryl Virginia Merriken, of Gray. The couple was believed to be hiking in Unicoi County and possibly became lost.

Missing person reports were filed by a family friend when the two failed to come home by 5 p.m. as they had told their 11-year-old son, David Jr., when the mother dropped him off at school.

The search continued Friday morning as officers looked at trailheads and popular spots for the newer model black Ford Focus that the couple was driving. It is a Enterprise rental vehicle with a Lousiana license plate.

Although the couple had not been located, the friends and son of the Merrikens screamed with relief when Sheriff Kent Harris said the vehicle was located and now the search could be narrowed to the Spivey Mountain area.

“That is wonderful news,” said Demaris Venturella, the friend who filed the missing person’s report with Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

Demaris and her husband, Reed of Shady Valley, and another family friend, Marty Luttrell, worked with UCSD officers this morning to provide information about the couple. Another son, 15-year-old Dakota, was riding along with Maj. Mike Hensley to search the area.

Around noon, Luttrell and Community Police Officer Kelly Blevins located the Merriken’s vehicle in the Spivey Mountain Area.

The search is continuing for the missing hikers. If you have any information about David and Cheryl Merriken, contact the UCSD at 743-1850.

Information about the search will be updated on The Erwin Record’s Web site as it is available.
http://www.erwinrecord.net/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=58277

[Faith]

BREAKING NEWS: Crews Search for Missing Hikers In Unicoi County, TN

Friday, May 09, 2008 - 01:38 PM

Crews are searching at this hour for two missing hikers.

The Unicoi County Sheriff's Office tells us David and Cheryl Merriken, of Gray, TN, dropped their children off at school Thursday morning and told them they were going for a hike. The Merrikens never returned home. The couple's two dogs, a black lab and a yellow lab mix, are with them.

Deputies located the couple’s car Friday morning. The search is focused on the Unicoi County, Tennessee and Yancey County, North Carolina state line in the area of Spivey Mountain.

Your Tri-Cities News Source has a crew on the scene. We'll bring you the latest on the search on News Channel 11 at 5 and 6.

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2008-05-09-0014.html

[Faith]

Updated May 09, 2008 03:06:27 PM
Hikers missing on Spivey Mountain

POPLAR, N.C. — A plethora of public safety personnel are searching the mountains on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee this afternoon in an effort to find a husband and wife who were hiking and reported missing Thursday night.

Cheryl Merriken, 58, and David Merriken, 59, 530 Gray Station, Gray, had taken a day hike on Wednesday but had not returned by the time their children came home from school, said Kent Harris, sheriff of Unicoi County, Tenn.

"The parents never showed up, so they contacted some friends, church members trying to locate them," he said.

Authorities started looking for the couple on Thursday night after friends called.

About noon today, sheriff's Deputy Kelly Blevins and Marty Luttrell, a church friend of the couple, found their car, a Ford Focus rental car on Flat Top Mountain here. The spot is in the Pigsah National Forest about 15 miles from downtown Erwin, Tenn., that is reached by driving through Spivey Mountain in Unicoi County.

Based on the car's condition, UCSD Capt. Rick Butler said there was no indication of foul play. Luttrell said Merriken has a bad knee, and one possible scenario espoused by Butler is that the man might have injured himself.

But Luttrell, who described the couple as avid hikers, said there are some reasons why they moved her that he did not want to disclose other than saying it involved a court case.

"That brought us some immediate concern over the situation," he said.

"It's definitely an unusual set of circumstances at this point for them not to be here. It's a little strange that she's not come out of the woods on her own to seek help and bring somebody back to them."

But Luttrell agreed with Butler that this appeared to be more of a case of injury.

Representatives of Unaka Mountain Search and Rescue, the volunteer fire departments in Unicoi County and the sheriff's department were in the mountains looking for the couple. A command post has been set up on Granny Lewis Creek in Unicoi County. The Yancey County Sheriff's Department also has been called.

Luttrell and Unicoi County sheriff's Lt. Jason Tilson hiked from Flat Top in search of the Merrikens.

Harris said authorities also have talked to Appalachian Trail hikers to ascertain whether they have encountered the Merrikens.

"Our hope is to find them today, and hopefully they will be all right," Harris said.

According to a report filed with the Washington County, Tenn., Sheriff's Department, Mrs. Merriken has blond hair and blue eyes and is about 5 feet 7 1/2 inches tall. Her husband has gray hair and blue eyes and is 6 feet tall. He is a captain on a barge.

Luttrell estimated the couple have lived in the area for five to seven years. He believes they moved here from Pensacola, Fla.
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=62873

[Roamer]

I'm glad the dogs are with them. If the couple are injured, the dogs may bring attention to them when searchers get close.

[Faith]

Those woods are so thick. I would think the could get the bloodhounds to track them. I pray they are safe.

[packy]

Yes bloodhounds sounds like a good idea, Faith. I hope they find them soon.

[MysteryPhobia]

Yes bloodhounds sounds like a good idea, Faith. I hope they find them soon.



What is the weather like there? Is it really cold at night?

Hopefully they are found soon and safe.:innocent0001:

[Faith]

What is the weather like there? Is it really cold at night?

Hopefully they are found soon and safe.:innocent0001:

74°F | 54°F for today. Supposed to drop in the 40's Sunday night.

[Faith]

Updated May 09, 2008 04:00:34 PM
Gray hikers missing in mountainous region

POPLAR, N.C. – A plethora of public safety personnel are searching the mountains on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee this afternoon in an effort to find a husband and wife who were hiking and reported missing Thursday night.

Cheryl Merriken, 58, and David Merriken, 59, 530 Gray Station, Gray, had taken a day hike on Wednesday but had not returned by the time their children came home from school, said Kent Harris, sheriff of Unicoi County, Tenn.

"The parents never showed up, so they contacted some friends, church members trying to locate them," he said.

Authorities started looking for the couple on Thursday night after friends called.

About noon today, sheriff's Deputy Kelly Blevins and Marty Luttrell, a church friend of the couple, found their car, a Ford Focus rental car on Flat Top Mountain here. The spot is in the Pigsah National Forest about 15 miles from downtown Erwin, Tenn., that is reached by driving through Spivey Mountain in Unicoi County.

Based on the car's condition, UCSD Capt. Rick Butler said there was no indication of foul play. Luttrell said Merriken has a bad knee, and one possible scenario espoused by Butler is that the man might have injured himself.

But Luttrell, who described the couple as avid hikers, said there are some reasons why they moved her that he did not want to disclose other than saying it involved a court case.

"That brought us some immediate concern over the situation," he said.

"It's definitely an unusual set of circumstances at this point for them not to be here. It's a little strange that she's not come out of the woods on her own to seek help and bring somebody back to them."

But Luttrell agreed with Butler that this appeared to be more of a case of injury.

Representatives of Unaka Mountain Search and Rescue, the volunteer fire departments in Unicoi County and the sheriff's department were in the mountains looking for the couple. A command post has been set up on Granny Lewis Creek in Unicoi County. The Yancey County Sheriff's Department also has been called.

Luttrell and Unicoi County sheriff's Lt. Jason Tilson hiked from Flat Top in search of the Merrikens.

Harris said authorities also have talked to Appalachian Trail hikers to ascertain whether they have encountered the Merrikens.

"Our hope is to find them today, and hopefully they will be all right," Harris said.

According to a report filed with the Washington County, Tenn., Sheriff's Department, Mrs. Merriken has blond hair and blue eyes and is about 5 feet 7 1/2 inches tall. Her husband has gray hair and blue eyes and is 6 feet tall. He is a captain on a barge.

Luttrell estimated the couple have lived in the area for five to seven years. He believes they moved here from Pensacola, Fla.
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=62873

[Faith]

http://www.tricities.com/media/TRI/2008/05/09/0014.Image.NULL,ArticleMediaImage.300,300,0,NULL,N ULL.MGSpooler.img
Cheryl Merriken is one of the hikers authorities are searching for in Unicoi County.

[Faith]

>snip<

"He's (David Merriken) got a bad knee,” family friend Marty Luttrell said. “It gives him some trouble. If that thing goes out, he can really have a hard time getting back."

"Hopefully that's what took place and they're just hunkered down somewhere waiting for someone to come and find them."


Praying hard here--- :innocent0001:

[Faith]

UPDATED: Lost hikers found in county

Two hikers lost in the mountains of Unicoi County found the Nolichucky River and hitched a ride back on a whitewater raft.

The happy ending came after two days of extensive searches and as local authorities were beginning to fear the worst.

Authorities had launched an extensive search Friday for Gray residents 59-year-old David Vernon Merriken and his wife, 48-year-old Cheryl Virginia Merriken after they were reported missing.

Friday evening, though, the two flagged down a rafting tour and made their way to Erwin on a whitewater raft.

Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said the couple became lost after taking a wrong turn in search of the mountain community known as Lost Cove.

After becoming lost and night fell on Thursday, Harris said, the couple decided to rest and try to find their way out again on Friday morning.

On Friday, the Merrikens decided to head toward the Nolichucky River with hopes to then follow the water out of the mountains. Around 5 p.m., they discovered the rafting crew.

The car of two missing people was found just before noon Friday near the North Carolina line near Spivey Mountain.

Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department and Unaka Mountain Search and Rescue personnel began searching Thursday night for the Merrikens.

Missing person reports were filed by a family friend when the two failed to come home by 5 p.m. as they had told their 11-year-old son, David Jr., when the mother dropped him off at school.

The search continued Friday morning as officers looked at trailheads and popular spots for the newer model black Ford Focus that the couple was driving. It is a Enterprise rental vehicle with a Lousiana license plate.

Although the couple had not been located, the friends and son of the Merrikens screamed with relief when Sheriff Kent Harris said the vehicle was located and the search could be narrowed to the Spivey Mountain area.

“That is wonderful news,” said Demaris Venturella, the friend who filed the missing person’s report with Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

Demaris and her husband, Reed of Shady Valley, and another family friend, Marty Luttrell, worked with UCSD officers this morning to provide information about the couple. Another son, 15-year-old Dakota, rode along with Maj. Mike Hensley to search the area.

Around noon, Luttrell and Community Police Officer Kelly Blevins located the Merriken’s vehicle in the Spivey Mountain Area.
http://www.erwinrecord.net/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=58277

[packy]

Oh good! Glad that raft came by. Thanks for this good news story, Faith.

[TigressPen]

Great News!! Thank God for one that didn't end in tragedy! That gives hope that other cases will too. :basic44: