MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Day 3 of ongoing rescue efforts resumed on Sunday, June 1, after 31-year-old Thaddeus Smiley reportedly entered the Wolf River and did not resurface on Friday, May 30.
One person was rescued on Friday, but authorities are still actively searching for another, a spokesperson with the Memphis Fire Department (MFD) confirmed.
City Councilman JB Smiley said on social media that the missing person is his nephew and asked for prayers as the search continues.
"This afternoon, my nephew, Thaddeus Smiley, was swept away by the Wolf River," the post read. "He is still missing. Please keep my family in your prayers. Tough time for us. Thank you to all the First Responders and volunteers."
Ongoing efforts:
As of 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, search operations resumed for the search of 31-year-old Thaddeus Smiley, with the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies participating.
The following agencies were listed as participants:
Around 35 deputies, firefighters, and volunteers are actively searching over six miles of river from Walnut Grove to the old Austin Peay overpass.
As of 8 a.m. on Saturday, search operations resumed for the man who was swept away in the Wolf River while trying to save a child.
The second day's search involved a coordinated effort of multiple agencies, according to a social media post shared by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).
The following agencies were listed as participants:
Resources deployed include three drone teams conducting aerial searches, six boat teams from the SCSO, in addition to partnering fire departments patrolling the river, and four sonar teams scanning the riverbed using specialized equipment from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Dive team.
Additionally, the Sonar Emily, a radio-controlled sonar boat, was used to inspect the river floor.
Three ground teams actively searched the riverbanks, and around 120 deputies, firefighters, and volunteers were actively engaged in the ongoing search of over 8 miles of river from Walnut Grove to the Hollywood overpass.
Initial Response:
A concentration of law enforcement and rescue workers was confirmed to be in the area of the Wolf River near Walnut Grove Road on Friday, May 30.
First responders with SCSO, along with the Memphis and Germantown fire departments, arrived at the scene at around 1:50 p.m., said SCSO Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner at a press conference.
A group of 11 family members and friends gathered at a sandbar in the river before a small child went into the water, said Buckner.
Two adult members of the group entered the river to rescue the child. One of them was successful in recovering that person from the water, and the other man was caught by the current.
The other man, identified as Thaddeus Smiley, was swept downstream. He was last seen wearing blue shorts, according to Buckner.
At the time of speaking, Buckner said the river was likely moving at around 6 mph.
Six boats, five sonar-equipped teams, three drones, and a specialized dive team were all deployed in the search.
The search area on Friday spanned about a one-mile radius of where Smiley went missing.