United Cajun Navy joins search for missing Sumner County teen
SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – It has been nearly four weeks since 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers disappeared from his Sumner County home. Now, the United Cajun Navy is stepping in to help with search efforts.
The United Cajun Navy is an all-volunteer organization that helps respond to natural disasters across the country. David Flagg, the national director of operations for the organization, said they also regularly get involved in missing persons cases and do search and rescue missions.
In fact, the organization was involved in the search for missing 22-year-old Riley Strain after he was reported missing by his friends after a night out in Nashville.
During the search for Strain, the organization had boats out on the water and helped organize volunteer-led searches for any signs of the 22-year-old. However, the search came to a heartbreaking end after Strain’s body was found in the Cumberland River on Friday, March 22.
As the search for Strain comes to an end, the United Cajun Navy is now assisting in the search for Sebastian.
‘I’m not going to give up hope’ Sebastian Rogers’ dad searches West TN park for his son
On Saturday, the organization took to social media to announce they had been asked to “redirect assets from the Riley Strain search to help bring Sebastian home.” The nonprofit said they deployed a search team with a K-9 to help with those efforts.
In an interview with News 2, Sebastian’s father said he’s not giving up hope on finding his son.
“I’ve been all around Nashville. I’ve been passing out flyers, it’s time to start branching out farther. I just want to find my son,” said Seth Rogers, the missing teen’s father. “I’m not going to give up hope.”
Last week, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) released an update on the case stating, “We have have not forgotten about Sebastian. Much of the work currently being done to bring Sebastian home may not necessarily be public or visible.”
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Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
Sebastian Rogers: Description
Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.
AMBER Alert Issued
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.
Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ.
Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonville’s first responders, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.
Who to Contact
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
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