AM 820 News anchor Roger P. Schulman spoke to Grayson Kamm of WTSP 10 News about a missing pilot and plane in Brooksville. The search was put on hold overnight but will resume this morning.
(Lecanto) The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and a myriad of other agencies, resumed their search for missing 74-year-old Theodore Weiss.
Weiss took off in his experimental aircraft from the Dunnellon Airport in Marion County on Saturday, April 5 and planned to land in Zephyrhills. He was reported as not reaching his destination to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon, April 7.
The Civil Air Patrol attempted to track Weiss’s flight and provided last known coordinates near Trail 10 in a portion of the Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County. Based on information provided by the Civil Air Patrol, Citrus and Hernando Counties began their search Monday evening over 40,000+ acres.
“This is an extremely difficult search,” CCSO’s Undersheriff Buddy Grant said Tuesday. “The terrain is rough and very dense and we have a very broad search area. Thanks to other agencies, we have assembled a huge team to help find Mr. Weiss. We’re in the air, on the ground utilizing ATVs, horses and foot patrol. We’re searching grid by grid and thankfully, the weather is on our side right now.”
More than 125 people reported to the command post at 4400 S. Lecanto Hwy, Lecanto this morning to receive assignments. The search includes 30 ATVs with Florida Wildlife Commission, Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Levy and Marion County Sheriff’s Offices, Posse members from Citrus and Hernando, helicopters from Citrus and Hernando and a fixed wing aircraft from both the Civil Air Patrol and the Florida Forest Service. Community Emergency Response Team members from Citrus and Hernando also joined the search.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
Source: Citrus County Sheriff’s Office
