JUNCTION, Texas — A week after the Llano River reached its highest level in nearly 20 years, there's still one missing person whose body hasn't been found as the search and rescue effort has now turned into a search and recovery.
The first two bodies were recovered last Wednesday about six to eight miles downstream. The third body was found on Friday about 20 miles downstream, but the fourth person, Charlotte Moye from Alabama, still has not been found.
PREVIOUSLY: Third body found in Junction along Llano River
“That’s the most difficult decision incident commander can make is to switch from a rescue to recovery mode, Kimble County Deputy Sheriff Randy Millican said. "It’s not that they do any less than they’ve been doing, but they slow down just a tiny bit to be a little more careful and mindful of each other.”
He said safety of the searchers is a number one priority. “When you are searching after rescue, because you don’t want to have to rescue the rescuers, it happens quickly", he said.
The cold, raw, rainy weather is also playing a factor in Monday's search. The air is so cold that the water is actually warmer, and you could see steam rising out of the river. But even in this weather volunteers are still searching but their efforts are being hampered from animals that are also in the water. Millican told us, “They have to watch out if they are stepping in things - decayed things, some bacteria that could be harmful to them or the search animals.”
As the search for Moye enters day eight, Millican said the town has come together to help the victims in a big way. He added, “Our local laundry, commercial laundry opened its doors and said, 'we are not going to charge you. As a matter fact, we are not even going to ask you to wash your own clothes, just bring them here... we will wash them, fold them, dry them and get them back to you.'”
And even volunteers helped from many miles away. “[Sunday], we had a gentleman who lives maybe three counties away who brought in his helicopter and did helicopter searches for nothing. He paid for his own fuel," Millican said.
Sheriff Millican said the only thing that will stop the searchers from doing their job is a rapid rise in the river, which doesn’t appear to be happening, even with the rain.