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Family, friends seek help looking for hunter
By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun
Published January 19, 2007
The cold, rainy weather Thursday couldn’t dampen the resolve of friends, family and concerned citizens who continued to search for a missing duck hunter whose boat capsized in Trinity Bay early this week.
They searched throughout the day and into the night, some on private boats in the bay, others slogging through the marshy land nearby. But no one has seen Matthew Hoover, 24, a lifelong Baytown resident and a graduate of Sterling High School.
Tiffany Davis, who works with Hoover at his father Allen’s all-terrain vehicle dealership, said Matt is a caring soul with a wonderful sense of humor. She said if people knew him, they would waste no time joining the search.
“We just need more people out there, as many as possible,� Davis said. “Time is of the essence right now. If you can come with a boat or just on foot, we need you.�
As he had done countless times before, Hoover went on a duck-hunting trip with two friends Monday. They set out from the Hugo Boat Ramp just off Gou Hole Road in Cove. At one point Monday afternoon, Hoover left from the group’s duck blind in his 16-foot johnboat to fetch some decoy ducks that had drifted too far. He never returned.
After several hours passed with no sign of Hoover, the friends notified the U.S. Coast Guard, who began a comprehensive search of the surrounding area, aided by local game wardens, friends and relatives. Tuesday afternoon, searchers located Hoover’s green boat, floating upside down with a few decoy ducks attached. On Wednesday, they found two life jackets and more decoy ducks on the shore.
By Wednesday evening, the Coast Guard suspended its search efforts. Coast Guard spokesman Dave Eggers said they had received word from the district office in New Orleans to halt the search because the team had already covered all the likely locations of Hoover. The Coast Guard also factored in other variables such as water temperature, time elapsed since the incident, the quality of the surrounding terrain, and the location of the boat and the life jackets.
He was last seen in the bay near Red’s Bayou and Cross Bayou. The life jackets, decoy ducks and a gas tank were found south of that location, near Smith Point. According to family members, Hoover was wearing Neoprene waders, which are somewhat buoyant, and a heavy coat.
“What we really need are people with shallow-water boats or airboats, and people familiar with the area near Red’s Bayou, Cross Bayou, Smith Point and Jack’s Point,� local hunter Mitchell Pearce said. “The family and friends have been working hard and are getting tired, so they need some help.�
Anyone wishing to help with the search may call Davis at 832-984-0909, or Pear Pearce at 281-844-8280. They may also attend a meeting at 7 a.m. today at Crawdaddy’s on Interstate10 at 565 near the Old and Lost rivers, at which the search effort will be coordinated.
Hoover is a consummate outdoorsman, enjoying the quiet peace and solitude of the hunt, whether ducks, deer or hogs. He has worked at the Allens’ All Terrain Vehicles and Cycles, selling and repairing vehicles, since he was old enough to work. He believes he may one day take the reigns of the company from his father.
“He loves to make other people feel good,� Davis said. “That’s just the kind of person he is.
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Family, friends seek help looking for hunter
By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun
Published January 19, 2007
The cold, rainy weather Thursday couldn’t dampen the resolve of friends, family and concerned citizens who continued to search for a missing duck hunter whose boat capsized in Trinity Bay early this week.
They searched throughout the day and into the night, some on private boats in the bay, others slogging through the marshy land nearby. But no one has seen Matthew Hoover, 24, a lifelong Baytown resident and a graduate of Sterling High School.
Tiffany Davis, who works with Hoover at his father Allen’s all-terrain vehicle dealership, said Matt is a caring soul with a wonderful sense of humor. She said if people knew him, they would waste no time joining the search.
“We just need more people out there, as many as possible,� Davis said. “Time is of the essence right now. If you can come with a boat or just on foot, we need you.�
As he had done countless times before, Hoover went on a duck-hunting trip with two friends Monday. They set out from the Hugo Boat Ramp just off Gou Hole Road in Cove. At one point Monday afternoon, Hoover left from the group’s duck blind in his 16-foot johnboat to fetch some decoy ducks that had drifted too far. He never returned.
After several hours passed with no sign of Hoover, the friends notified the U.S. Coast Guard, who began a comprehensive search of the surrounding area, aided by local game wardens, friends and relatives. Tuesday afternoon, searchers located Hoover’s green boat, floating upside down with a few decoy ducks attached. On Wednesday, they found two life jackets and more decoy ducks on the shore.
By Wednesday evening, the Coast Guard suspended its search efforts. Coast Guard spokesman Dave Eggers said they had received word from the district office in New Orleans to halt the search because the team had already covered all the likely locations of Hoover. The Coast Guard also factored in other variables such as water temperature, time elapsed since the incident, the quality of the surrounding terrain, and the location of the boat and the life jackets.
He was last seen in the bay near Red’s Bayou and Cross Bayou. The life jackets, decoy ducks and a gas tank were found south of that location, near Smith Point. According to family members, Hoover was wearing Neoprene waders, which are somewhat buoyant, and a heavy coat.
“What we really need are people with shallow-water boats or airboats, and people familiar with the area near Red’s Bayou, Cross Bayou, Smith Point and Jack’s Point,� local hunter Mitchell Pearce said. “The family and friends have been working hard and are getting tired, so they need some help.�
Anyone wishing to help with the search may call Davis at 832-984-0909, or Pear Pearce at 281-844-8280. They may also attend a meeting at 7 a.m. today at Crawdaddy’s on Interstate10 at 565 near the Old and Lost rivers, at which the search effort will be coordinated.
Hoover is a consummate outdoorsman, enjoying the quiet peace and solitude of the hunt, whether ducks, deer or hogs. He has worked at the Allens’ All Terrain Vehicles and Cycles, selling and repairing vehicles, since he was old enough to work. He believes he may one day take the reigns of the company from his father.
“He loves to make other people feel good,� Davis said. “That’s just the kind of person he is.
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