Search ends for reported downed aircraft
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.comA search for a downed aircraft near Lowell was called off early Monday and is not likely to resume, police said.
Around 8:50 p.m. Sunday, a group of men on Buell Island in Lowell reported seeing an object fall out of the sky, crashing into a hillside on the east side of the village.
"They thought it could have been a hang glider, an ultra lite (plane) or possibly a parachute," said Lt. Mary Pfeifer, commander of the Marietta post of the Ohio Highway Patrol. "They weren't sure what they saw, just that they saw something."
About 40 volunteer firefighters from Lowell, Devola and Fearing searched the hillsides until about 2 a.m. Nothing was found.
Pfeifer said a patrol helicopter was called in from Columbus to assist in the search.
"Our aircraft has a forward-looking infrared device that helps us identify anything heat-oriented on the ground," Pfeifer said. "Nothing was detected."
The search was conducted east of Lowell, between Ohio 60 and Ohio 530.
Pfeifer said all regional airports were contacted and none reported any aircraft with flights in the area.
"The only hang gliding place I'm aware of is in Chillicothe, and we called the post there to check to see if there were any reports of missing persons or even if there were any vehicles there," Pfeifer said.
Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said he decided to keep his department's helicopter grounded Monday morning. Pfeifer was under the impression the sheriff's office would take over the search by air.
"We have been able to determine there aren't any aircraft missing, so at this point we do not have an aircraft up and are not going to pursue a search until there is more to indicate there is someone missing," Mincks said. "It appears this may have been a weather balloon or something like that."
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Anonymous123
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07-16-08 12:03 AM
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Hmmmmm....was alcohol involved?
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IsaacEastwood
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07-15-08 6:36 PM
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You never know what goes on in the Village of Lowell ;)
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Digger
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07-15-08 9:21 AM
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Hummmm.. can we say Roswell?
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