Texas EquuSearch
Encyclopedia
Texas EquuSearch is a search and rescue
organization dedicated to searching for missing persons
. It has increasingly become involved in high-profile abduction cases, including that of Natalee Holloway
, working through local law enforcement agencies. TES is headquartered in Dickinson, Texas
, a suburb of Houston
.
group to assist local law enforcement personnel in searching the vast areas outside the city of Houston for missing individuals. Although TES has relatively few permanent members, many thousands of volunteers have since assisted in searches throughout the United States
and in other countries.
Volunteers are typically trained on the spot when a search is necessary. The expectation is that volunteers know how to use the equipment they bring with them, whether that is a horse
or a FLIR equipped helicopter
. TES has gained a reputation as a well-equipped organization which can deploy on short notice resources such as radar
, sonar
, scuba diving
or SAR dog teams, and vehicles ranging from all-terrain vehicle
s to boats to aircraft
to remotely operated vehicle
s.
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
organization dedicated to searching for missing persons
Missing Persons
Missing Persons is an American band who plays a blend of New Wave and Pop rock. The band was founded in 1980 in Los Angeles by guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, vocalist Dale Bozzio, and drummer Terry Bozzio. They went on to add bassist Patrick O'Hearn and keyboardist Chuck Wild. Dale's quirky voice...
. It has increasingly become involved in high-profile abduction cases, including that of Natalee Holloway
Natalee Holloway
Natalee Ann Holloway disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, a Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An American student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, Holloway graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May 24, 2005, shortly before the trip...
, working through local law enforcement agencies. TES is headquartered in Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 17,093 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, a suburb of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
History
Originally named Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team, TES was founded in August, 2000 by Director Tim Miller after the abduction and murder of his daughter, Laura. It is a 501(c)(3) non profit, all-volunteer organization originally conceived as a volunteer mounted search and rescueMounted search and rescue
Mounted search and rescue is a specialty within search and rescue , using horses as search partners and for transportation to search for missing persons. SAR responders on horseback are primarily a search resource, but also can provide off-road logistics support and transportation...
group to assist local law enforcement personnel in searching the vast areas outside the city of Houston for missing individuals. Although TES has relatively few permanent members, many thousands of volunteers have since assisted in searches throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in other countries.
Volunteers are typically trained on the spot when a search is necessary. The expectation is that volunteers know how to use the equipment they bring with them, whether that is a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
or a FLIR equipped helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. TES has gained a reputation as a well-equipped organization which can deploy on short notice resources such as radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
or SAR dog teams, and vehicles ranging from all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s to boats to aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
to remotely operated vehicle
Remotely operated vehicle
A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
s.
TES role in notable searches
- Natalee HollowayNatalee HollowayNatalee Ann Holloway disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, a Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An American student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, Holloway graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May 24, 2005, shortly before the trip...
on initial search, with a follow up after Joran van der Sloot's arrest in the murder of Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez. - Disappearance and murder of Jessie DavisDisappearance and murder of Jessie DavisJessie Marie Davis was a murdered, near-term pregnant, 26-year-old American woman first reported missing from her Lake Township, Ohio home on June 15, 2007. The case drew an extraordinary response from the American media...
: TES organized a large search involving many regional SAR teams and spontaneous volunteers. - Acres Homes, Houston, TexasAcres Homes, Houston, TexasAcres Homes is a community in northwest Houston, Texas, United States north of the 610 loop. Nicknamed the 44, Acres Homes is located in the northwest portion of the city, the area is loosely bound by Pinemont Drive to the south, North Shepherd Drive to the East, Gulf Bank to the north, and...
: TES searched for possible bodies in a wooded area that had been the scene of recent body dumping. - Randy and Denim Sylvester: TES organized a PR campaign. The charred remains of the children were found in a suitcase and chest, located near a railroad track on Highway 3 in Houston, TX on June 21, 2008.
- Caylee Anthony, who was later found dead. Tim Miller wants Equusearch to be reimbursed for costs related to the search, since, according to Casey Anthony's trial testimony, the child was never missing.
- Disappearance of Shane Fell: Marrero, Louisiana. Search currently underway.
External links
- Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team (official site)