At 7:30 Saturday morning, the search for Dennis Rogers has resumed. Yesterday hundreds showed up at both the command post located at Cannon’s Grocery on SH 321 and County Road 301 North and also the Plum Grove City Hall on FM 1010.
The Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with the United States Coast Guard which has been flying the area on and off since Rogers went missing on Thursday night.
Mr. Rogers has a brain injury from four-years ago. He walks near his home in Plum Grove on a daily basis. Thursday, however, he entered the woods in the area. Once in the woods which was close to 3:30 p.m., he became lost. When his daughter called him on his cell phone is when it was determined he was not on his daily walk but actually lost in the woods.
The family contacted the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and tried to convince Mr. Rogers to call 911 using his cell phone so an attempt could be made to pinpoint his location.
Since Cleveland Police 911 is where the calls in that area routed to Mrs. Rogers was required to go to the Cleveland Police Department before they could initiate the locate on the phone.
Once they were able to locate the phone efforts were made to start moving to that location which was in the middle of thousands of acres of the wooded area. Many roads are in the area, some will handle four-wheel-drive vehicles others just wide enough for four-wheelers. All the roads and pipelines look the same and is very easy to take a wrong turn and become lost.
Rescue crews worked through 3 a.m. Friday morning in the rain and dropping temperature conditions. The search was then resumed at daybreak Friday.
People with four-wheelers have come from as far away as Huntsville, Montgomery County Search and Rescue is assisting Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in the search. Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constables are assisting Plum Grove Volunteer Fire Department on the west side of the search area.
Friday afternoon a bloodhound with Precinct 4 was put on the ground at Mr. Rogers’s home. “Oliver” picked a track up and led deputies deep into the woods before he lost it. Friday night Texas Department of Criminal Justice tracking dogs were put on the ground at the same location but they too lost the trail.
Mr. Rogers is dressed for summertime weather as it was close to the 80-degree mark Thursday when he started his walk.
The U.S. Coast Guard has done an outstanding job in supporting this Search and Rescue operation by flying over the search area, even in severe weather conditions utilizing their expertise and highly technical equipment. The family remains hopeful and is extremely grateful for all of the support from everyone.
Volunteers are still needed as the temperatures have dropped and the need to find Mr. Rogers becomes much more urgent.
Cannon’s Grocery is located at County Road 301 North and Highway 321.
The Plum Grove City Hall is located on FM 1010 south of FM 2090.
Volunteers are urged to dress warm, raingear a GPS would be extremely helpful as officials do not want to have to start a second search. The woods are very thick. There are already many four-wheelers on the ground along with horses and searchers on foot. The roads have been covered but the need to search the woods is almost impossible with four-wheelers in addition to the noise created if Mr. Rogers should hear them and try to call out for help.
Should anyone have any information about this incident of having any means of assistance they wish to lend please contact the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at (936) 336-4500.
