Search continues for missing man in Monongahela
Crews continued searching along the water in Monongahela Sunday for a man who has been missing since last week.
Numerous local agencies were helping in the search for Shelby Rhodes. Boats equipped with side-scan sonar will be sweeping the Monongahela River, the Donora Fire Company said in a Facebook post Sunday morning.
Rhodes, 26, of Monongahela, was last seen leaving a gathering in Monongahela in the Black Diamond neighborhood around 5:20 a.m. Feb. 8.
Other people leaving at the same time said they had seen him walking toward the woods and the Monongahela River, said Shelby无毛视频檚 sister, Jessica Rhodes.
He was reported missing on Wednesday. Jessica无毛视频檚 boyfriend found Shelby无毛视频檚 cellphone resting against a canoe Wednesday evening, along with footprints leading to the water.
Neither Jessica nor Shelby无毛视频檚 brother, C.J. Pearce, believe their brother would have gone into the river.
For one, he had told other people that night he wasn无毛视频檛 dressed for the weather, Jessica said.
And he无毛视频檇 been excited about his burgeoning rap career under the name Indigo Riot, including upcoming features with a mainstream rapper, Pearce said.
On Feb. 6, when Jessica last texted Shelby, he无毛视频檇 told her about his upcoming spot as an extra in a new episode of 无毛视频淢ayor of Kingstown.无毛视频�
He had also been waiting on a package being delivered to his house, which just arrived Friday, Pearce said.
无毛视频淗e had a future coming,无毛视频� Pearce said. 无毛视频淗e had a lot to look forward to.无毛视频�
People who无毛视频檇 been hanging out with him earlier that night at the Drunken Hippie bar in Monongahela said he had been in a good mood and laughing, Jessica said.
At the gathering back at the house, Shelby had reconnected with the house无毛视频檚 owner, a former classmate he hadn无毛视频檛 seen in years, and reflected on their lives since graduation, Jessica said.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 just who he is,无毛视频� Jessica said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 gotten knocked down in life so many times, and he continues to keep going.无毛视频�
Crews had searched for a couple of hours on Thursday, but the ice dam on the river was too thick at the time, Pearce said.
Shelby无毛视频檚 siblings and friends had gathered at Flamingo Legs in Monongahela Saturday morning to wait for word and to assist if needed.
Saturday无毛视频檚 search included a cadaver dog searching the ice, while crews had also been sawing through the ice in order to send down drones and dive teams, Pearce said.
Boats equipped with sonar went out Saturday afternoon. They found a target, which wound up being a tree branch, Jessica said in a Facebook post Sunday night.
Saturday无毛视频檚 search continued into darkness, when it was suspended into Sunday to continue with more advanced sonar and larger boats, Jessica said in her post.
The Donora Fire Company, which is assisting in the search, said in a Facebook post Saturday无毛视频檚 efforts lasted for 14 hours.
After Saturday无毛视频檚 temperatures reached into the 50s, the Monongahela Fire Department chief was confident all the ice would be broken up for Sunday无毛视频檚 search, Jessica无毛视频檚 post said.
Shelby无毛视频檚 siblings are hoping he had decided to go dark for some reason, though they said it would be uncharacteristic of him.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not like Shelby to not post on social media,无毛视频� Pearce said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not like him to not contact family. Even if he was feeling sad or depressed or anything, he would contact Jessica.无毛视频�
A graphic circulated online by friends and family shows a photo of Shelby from the night of his disappearance. He was wearing a blue baseball cap with a yellow bill, a black hoodie with white lettering and blue jeans.
Anyone with information on Shelby无毛视频檚 whereabouts is asked to contact the Monongahela Police Department at 724-258-5555.