Crews searching for missing camper
By WYFF Digital Staff
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PICKENS COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — Authorities in Pickens County said they are searching for a missing camper.
The sheriff’s office said Stephanie Womacks was last seen at her campsite at Table Rock State Park on Monday around 5:30pm. When her husband returned from buying camping supplies, we’re told he said he couldn’t find her.
Investigators said she was last seen wearing a brown hoodie and jeans.
Her walking stick and a blanket were also missing from her campsite, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at 864-898-5500.
“This was their first time at Table Rock. They were actually visiting us, from Georgia. Right now, we’ve been covering the entire state park. This is about 3500 acres of ground that we’re covering,” said Billy Gibson, Director of Pickens County Emergency Management.
From canines to computers they used every tool at their disposal, including a map that tracks where crews have and haven’t searched.
“We know that that first 24 hours is usually pretty critical,” said Gibson. “And we throw in some factors, such as weather that that can be even more crucial. So, this helps us to be more efficient.”
On top of the sheer amount of ground teams have to cover, Gibson said wind gusts grounded drone teams and SLED’s helicopter most of Wednesday. Both are necessary in a rocky region like this.
“This is very mountainous,” he said. “There are a lot of places that we just can’t get to because there’s sheer drop offs and things of that nature.”
Dog crews on the scene Wednesday morning were holding out hope, using a dog that can sniff missing people who are still alive.
We’re told Womacks is not an experienced hiker. Her husband and son are staying at Table Rock State Park as the search continues.
Wednesday, around 80 people and more than a dozen agencies covered ground within two miles from the White Oak Campground she was last seen at. Pickens County Sheriff’s Office led the search.
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