Crews searching for missing man in Jennings State Forest hopeful that he's still alive

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Crews searching for a missing 79-year old man say they are hopeful he's alive and think he may be with friends, who don't know there's a massive search for him.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office and Florida Forestry Service closed several areas Friday due to the search, including:

• Entrances: Nolan, Hattie Nolan and Long Horn roads
• Recreation Areas: Dunns Farm Trail, Powell Ford, Ellis Ford, Knights Landing, Indian Ford
• Road: Double Gate Road

Crews have been looking for Hal Warth, who has been missing since Sunday night, in Jennings State Forest.

Thursday afternoon, a helicopter circled Jennings State Forest, outside Middleburg, multiple times.

Several search teams, some with dogs and horses, scoured the woods, looking for 79-year old Hal Warth Sr.

“At this point, we don’t know, he still may be alive. There’s nothing to indicate that he’s not alive,” said Captain Ronnie Gann with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Thursday, more volunteers and the same group that helped search for Lonzie Barton and Caylee Anthony joined the efforts.

“This forest is about 32,000 acres, and we’ve covered a thousand of it. We have not found any of his property anywhere in the woods,” said Gann.

Deputies say Warth disappeared Sunday night. His son reported him missing Monday morning.

“We have thoroughly gone through these woods and we just thought by now we would have found a shoe, a shirt or something,” said Gann.

“Once we are satisfied that we covered this large of an area, that he’s not in this area, then that would be the investigation part,” said Gann.

More than 140 volunteers and first responders invaded the woods, looking for Warth. They used some different tactics to intensify the search.

“We have gone over some of the different areas that we’ve searched the last couple of days with cadaver dogs and even horses, “said Gann.

Cynthia Orbe is one of the many volunteers helping out, but her team is searching through the eyes of her horses.

"We’re up higher, we can see down lower. They can take us through a lot of heavy-duty shrub, like four wheelers and stuff people can’t get through, they’ll take us right through it,” said Orbe.

Orbe said the pathways are confusing, if you don’t know the area.

“We know these woods, like the back of our hands too. We know where the creeks are. We can look up and down the creeks to see if he’s there,” said Orbe.

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