CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After two days of searching for a 12-year-old boy who went missing at Billy Dunlop Park, Clarksville Fire Rescue has announced they are suspending on-water recovery operations due to inclement weather and high water.
At about 1:45 p.m. Sunday, a father reported that his 12-year-old son was missing and was last seen in Billy Dunlop Park at Big West Fork Creek, according to previous reports. Since then, Clarksville has been battered with showers and thunderstorms, causing search operations to be suspended twice.
“After careful consideration, the difficult decision has been made to suspend on-water recovery operations along the West Fork of the Red River at Billy Dunlop Park,” CFR Deputy Chief Jim Eley announced Tuesday afternoon. “Weather conditions and safety concerns, rapidly rising water levels and dangerously strong currents have forced us to redirect our efforts from the water to bank patrols and, when conditions allow, water patrols with available watercraft.”
Eley stresses that the recovery efforts are not being abandoned. “However, until weather and water conditions improve, efforts will be focused on all other avenues to locate and recover the victim.”
According to Eley, search teams will reconvene Wednesday morning to reassess conditions, and plans are in place to expand the search area downstream in order to adapt their strategies to the evolving situation.
Multiple agencies and teams have been involved in the efforts:
- Clarksville Police Department
- Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department
- City of Clarksville Mayor’s Office
- Montgomery County EMS Dive Team
- Stewart County Dive Team
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
- Waterdogs Scuba and Safety
- Cumberland Search and Recovery K9 Unit
CFR also thanked the local kayakers and businesses for the outpouring of support and help.
Billy Dunlop Park and Robert Clark Park will remain closed indefinitely, and residents are urged to respect these closures and avoid the riverbanks, as conditions are unpredictably and pose significant risks.
“We will work closely with Clarksville Parks and Recreation and city officials to communicate any changes or updates with the public,” Eley said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the victim.”
| GET YOUR MORNING NEWS: Sign up for our free daily email newsletter.