BUXTON, N.C. — More than 30 locals in the Outer Banks joined the search for 39-year-old Christopher Lee Palmer in Buxton on Friday. Palmer's truck was discovered on the beach between ramps 43 and 44 on Jan. 12. Though Palmer's truck was found on the beach, the search is extending inland where there is a lot of dense terrain.
"I don't know Chris Palmer, but I'm here to help his family," said Ryan Albaugh, who grew up in Buxton and is a point person on the ground for the United Cajun Navy.
The United Cajun Navy is now involved in the search efforts on the ground and in the air. More than 30 Outer Banks locals answered the call for action, searching for 39-year-old Palmer and his German shepherd. Albaugh said the Coast Guard and National Park Service efforts have been mostly on the ocean and their efforts will focus inland.
"We are hoping to search the areas that the Park Service didn't get, like some of the thick wooded sedge and rigid area, and especially the ponds back in the woods, a lot of that is hard to access, but someone could very well wander into there," said Albaugh.
Albaugh grew up in the area, and many assisting in the search did too. Search efforts on Friday mainly extended inland into the woods and marshes. Albaugh said that whether it's the ocean or the land, it's easy for someone unfamiliar with the area to get lost.
"For anybody that didn't grow up here, it's hard to understand this beautiful environment. It looks pretty from the outside, but it's got teeth, every part about it, the ocean, the sand, the sedges, the swamps. Ask any guy that's been duck hunting, back in these woods, or even in the marshes on the sound side, it's unforgiving. One step could change your whole afternoon or the rest of your life," said Albaugh.
On Thursday, the National Park Service shared an update that Palmer's truck with a kayak in the back was in Dare County as early as Jan. 9. Additionally, his phone pinged near Avon on Jan. 10 and near Cape Point on Jan. 11. The kayak observed in the photo was not in the truck when it was found on Jan. 12 and has not been recovered. On top of the NPS and Coast Guard searches, the United Cajun Navy is now heavily involved in the air and on the ground.
"They have people all over the country, in every state, that respond to these events. They definitely have resources all over the place here, and that's kind of why we're doing it through them. They've got social media, they have a big platform and got a big network," said Albaugh.
Efforts like these on land will continue as long as the weather holds up and neighbors are able to offer their time. The search area can also be expanded.
"Weather and manpower is going to be our biggest factor. As much as I want to suspect that we can cover all the woods between here and Frisco, I don't think it's going to happen. But we'll at least cover the areas that we think that he had access to," said Albaugh.
Albaugh is proud to see the number of people that answered the call.
"When these incidents happen, whether it's a hurricane, flooding, whatever, everybody just kind of gets together, figures out a plan, we deal with it ourselves. And that's kind of why we're here, and that's kind of why the Cajun Navy is asking us to help them, because they know they can rely on the local people here," said Albaugh.
Palmer is approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall and has blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.
Anyone with information can contact NPS through any of these ways:
- Call: NPS Tip Line at 888-653-0009
- Online: go.nps.gov/SubmitATip
- Email: nps_isb@nps.gov
- Emergency: Call 9-1-1
