Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Search continues for former South student

The search continues for former South Middle School student Weston Powell, who disappeared Sunday after jumping off a bridge near Riverton, Kan.

According to the Joplin Globe:

Cherokee County Undersheriff Kent Soucy said at 5:30 p.m. Monday that the search might continue throughout the night. He said the dogs probably would continue working until sunset.

Powell was carried away by the swift current around 6:30 p.m. Sunday after leaping into the rain-swollen river from the Boston Mill Bridge, Soucy said. The bridge is on Lostine Road, north of Riverton.

Soucy said Powell was among five males from Joplin who were jumping off the bridge. Two were juveniles, and the others were adults. Four members of the group had previously jumped in and made it back to shore safely.

Soucy said Powell's friends saw him surface once, but then they lost sight of him. The search began Sunday night, with about 30 people participating. About eight boats were in the water on Monday.

Lindsay Matush, a staff member at The Bridge in Joplin and a friend of Powell's, said Monday: "Weston is a phenomenal guy. He is kind and compassionate, and fun and funny."

She said Powell, a student at Joplin High School, recently took first place in a skateboard competition at The Bridge.

"He is a wonderful, talented, well-rounded person, and he has absolutely blessed anyone who got to know him," Matush said.

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