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Virgin Island officials are expanding the search for a missing Kentucky woman

Virgin Islands National Park

The search in the Virgin Islands for missing American Lucy Schuhmann was expanded on Wednesday and includes rugged areas of a national park, officials said.

Lucy Schuhmann, 48, was reported missing last Thursday by the proprietor of a vacational rental property on Coral Bay on St. John where she was staying, according to a statement from Virgin Islands National Park spokesman Thomas Kelly.

Officials expanded their search after receiving a tip called into Crimestoppers on Wednesday morning, said Karl Caesar, a spokesman for the Virgin Islands Police Department told CNN. The search area in St. John now includes a body of water near the pond where investigators searched on Monday.

The search now includes “some of the most remote and rugged areas” of the park. “The terrain is very steep and thickly vegetated, while conditions are hot, wet and humid. … Much of the southern shoreline of St John is cliff and boulders and access is limited to swimming in from small watercraft,” the park said in a statement.

The search had been called off for one day on Tuesday due to severe weather from Tropical Storm Karen.

Schuhmann’s belongings were found in her room after she did not check out as scheduled, Kelly said. A multiagency search ensued, including resources from the Virgin Islands Police Department and St. John Rescue.

The US Coast Guard, divers and snorkelers have helped look for the missing woman around the southern shoreline of the Virgin Island National Park, near where her rental vehicle was found, officials said.

Park staff are in contact with Schuhmann’s relatives, who have requested privacy, Kelly said.

Searchers found Schuhmann’s daypack on the Ram Head Trail over the weekend, but it offered little information, Kelly said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the type of rental place where Schumann was staying. The article has been corrected.

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