Search Ongoing For Cleves Mother Missing In Great Smoky Mountains

Monday, October 1, 2018 at 12:17 PM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

More than 100 people and drones are being used in the search for Mitzie "Susan" Clements.

Search crews gather for a morning briefing before beginning another day of searching for missing hiker Mitzie "Susan" Clements. NPS Photo.

(Cleves, Oh.) - More than 125 searchers and logistical support personnel from more than 30 state and local agencies continue to scour the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a missing Cleves resident.

Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements went missing while hiking with her daughter along the Forney Ridge Trail about a quarter-mile from Andrews Bald last Tuesday, September 25. The mother works as an accounting tech at the Metropolitan Sewer District of Cincinnati.

Weather improved over the weekend as trained personnel from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia have been assisting park staff in the large-scale search amidst the very steep and rugged terrain. The search area is near Clingman’s Dome, the tallest peak in the national park.

“This is unforgiving terrain, and we are working long hours to find Ms. Clements,” said Acting Chief Ranger Jared St. Clair. “We are extremely grateful for the rapid response by so many well-trained personnel and the generous support resources that our cooperators have dedicated to this search.”

The area of the park has been closed to the public in order to accommodate the search for Clements. Clingman’s Dome Road is closed to allow for landing of aircraft supporting the search.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials says search crews are using search-and-rescue drones. Verizon Wireless has established a mobile cell signal booster in the remote location.

Anyone who saw Clements on Tuesday afternoon or since then is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch through one of the following methods: 1-888-653-0009, www.nps.gov/isb and click “submit a tip,” email e-mail us, or via a message on Facebook at “InvestigativeServicesNPS,” or Twitter @SpecialAgentNPS.