EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. – Rangers at Everglades National Park are searching for a 23-year-old visitor who has not been seen since last Wednesday.
Park representatives said Jacob Olivier, 23, of Texas, is believed to have entered the park on Aug. 24, when his Isuzu pickup truck was parked at Pine Glades Lake in extreme southwestern Miami-Dade County. While park representatives said Olivier has not officially been declared a missing person, his truck remains there, and he has not been seen since.
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Olivier's father was shocked when rangers called about his abandoned truck.
"He did not realize that the vehicle or his son had been missing," said district ranger Willie Lopez.
When rangers got permission from Olivier's father to search the pickup truck, they found some evidence inside.
"We did find some medications in the vehicle. One was an antidepressant," Lopez said. "And we did find a weapons case with a weapon missing and some ammunition."
Family members told park rangers that Olivier has no known friends or family in the area.
Park rangers began a search for Olivier as a precaution. Rangers searched roads and trails near Olivier's vehicle Tuesday, and a Miami-Dade police helicopter was used to search for him, although the aerial search was called off because of weather.
On Wednesday, bloodhounds and human remains K-9 patrols were used in the search.
Everglades National Park comprises more than 1.5 million acres, but rangers have narrowed the search to less than 100 acres thanks to technology.
"We were able to triangulate his cellphone numbers off these towers," Lopez said.
Six dogs, as well as spotters and handlers from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, have been searching the remote area, but the hope that they will find the man alive is dwindling.
"It's pretty treacherous here at night with the mosquitoes," said Lt. Mike Marks, of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. "I don't know how he would survive that at night here with the mosquitoes."
"Do you consider yourself an outdoorsman?" Local 10's Todd Tongen asked.
"Yes," Marks said.
"Do you think you could be out there for six days?" Tongen asked.
"No," Marks said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the park dispatch at 305-242-7740.