No sign of Blevins by day’s end Monday

BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

WARFIELD — The search for a missing man in the Tug River in Warfield continues as authorities—including swift water rescue divers—are following a trail that dates back to a mid-December police chase.

David Blevins Jr., a Staffordsville resident described as 5-foot-11, 155 pounds, and in his late 40s, last spoke with family members Dec. 13. Days later, on Dec. 19, relatives reported him missing.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office now believes Blevins may be in the Warfield/ Route 292 area, sparking an intensified effort to locate him.

“Through various tips and cooperation with law enforcement in the area, we have reason to believe that Mr. Blevins could in fact be located in this area, possibly around the river,” Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Kidd said Monday on-scene at the Warfield Boat Dock. “Mr. Blevins had a previous encounter with law enforcement over here that kind of led us to this area to search.”

That “encounter” occurred Dec. 13 when Sheriff John Kirk attempted a traffic stop.

“He fled from me, then abandoned the vehicle and went toward the river,” Kirk recounted Monday afternoon. “At the time, we didn’t know who he was.”

A drone deployed the night of Dec. 13 and into the following day revealed no sign of the fleeing man.

According to Kirk, there was no initial indication that Blevins had entered the water. The abandoned vehicle, registered to a woman in another county, offered no immediate clues. It was only after Blevins’ family came forward that police connected him to the car using convenience store surveillance footage.

Later, family members told the sheriff that people were saying Blevins had jumped into the river at the conclusion of the chase.

On Monday morning, law enforcement launched a swift water rescue search but found no evidence of Blevins by day’s end.

The effort—a multi-agency collaboration coordinated by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office—includes Martin County Emergency Management, the Martin County 911 Mobile Command Center, and the Kermit Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team.

“We really want to thank Kermit,” Deputy Kidd said. “They’re getting ready to deploy that SWRT now.”

Rescuers are focusing on the river from Warfield downstream to the Low Water Bridge (near Crum on the West Virginia side). Kidd acknowledged the difficult river conditions.

“The river is up right now and visibility is low,” said Kidd. “The current is pretty strong right now, so there are dangers involved with this rescue.”

Despite the challenges, the chief deputy emphasized the department’s determination.

“We will try to continue this rescue for as long as possible,” assured Kidd. “We’ll try to exhaust all avenues and options on finding Mr. Blevins.”

While the sheriff’s office had not requested additional assistance Monday morning, officials contacted other swift water rescue teams in the area to have them on standby.

Late Monday evening, the Ceredo Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team joined the search. According to Kidd, Ceredo deployed from the Virginia Point Park Boat Ramp in Catlettsburg to scan the river back to Warfield.

Police said cadaver dogs would join the operation on Tuesday.

Deputy Kidd suggested the search could extend for days.

“We’ll exhaust all options and search for as long as we can,” he said.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on Blevins’ whereabouts to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at 606-298-2828.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

See the original story: Authorities searching Tug River for missing Johnson County man