Loudon County, Tenn. — A search for two missing teenagers in Loudon County has officially been reclassified as a recovery mission, according to Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis. This announcement comes after more than a day of intensive searching for the teens, who are believed to have jumped from the Tennessee River Bridge along I-75 North.
The search began early Wednesday morning after Blake Moore, a local resident near the bridge, received an unusual request from a neighbor. According to Moore, the neighbor approached him with a strange request: a young man on their porch needed an Uber ride to Chattanooga. After Moore approached the teen, he learned the young man was one of three suspects who had led deputies on a high-speed chase down the interstate in a stolen car.
The stolen vehicle was later discovered near the Tennessee River Bridge, where the teens were believed to have fled the scene. “I actually know the sheriff, so I called the sheriff,” Moore said. “They said there’s a car on the way already, because there had been some break-ins at the time.”
As investigators delved deeper into the circumstances surrounding the chase, it became apparent that the three teens may have jumped from the bridge into the river. Authorities immediately initiated a search, first combing the banks and surrounding woods. After exhausting land-based search efforts, the focus shifted to the water. Sheriff Davis confirmed that crews were using a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) to search underwater in hopes of locating the missing individuals.
“We’re trying to use an ROV, remote-operated vehicle, to search under the water to try and find the individuals,” Sheriff Davis explained. “We’ve done plenty of searches in these areas before.”
As of Thursday morning, the recovery mission had entered a more somber phase. Sheriff Davis expressed cautious optimism but acknowledged the possibility that the search could stretch on for days or even weeks. “The unfortunate thing is, we have one person that we know of, two that’s just a total unknown,” Moore said. “We’re just hoping for the best, but accepting the fact that it may not be a good outcome for them.”
The search remains ongoing as crews continue their efforts in the water and along the shorelines. Despite the challenging conditions, authorities are determined to bring closure to the families involved. Past recovery operations in the area have lasted longer than a week, leaving both searchers and residents hoping for the best while preparing for the possibility of an unfavorable outcome.
As of now, no further updates on the status of the missing teens have been made available, though the community remains hopeful that the recovery mission will bring answers soon.
