Missing Firefighter

[NJFFSA16]

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) - Authorities in northwest South Dakota are
stepping up the search for a missing man who's at the center of a
dispute over the location of a fire hall.
Keith Carr is a Prairie City firefighter who was last seen
Saturday on his way to Rapid City.
He was supposed to get a motel room and fly to Las Vegas Sunday
morning but never showed up.
The Perkins County Sheriff says Carr was driving an orange 1979
Chevrolet Caprice. He's 70 years old and walks with a limp.
Carr was involved in a dispute that cost the town a federal
grant for fire protection equipment.

[Co11FireGal]

Wow...that certainly leaves a lot unanswered...

First off, he's 70 and walks with a limp, and is still an active firefighter?

I wonder what conflict could have cost his department federal money? I am guessing that maybe they are talking about the FIRE Act grant? How would they know if this conflict were the reason for them not being awarded? FEMA doesn't exactly tell you much...unless the dept. got the grant but it was not allowed to be used for some reason or another...but I would think that something really big and perhaps really shady would have to be going on...

Why was he going to Las Vegas anyway? Vacation? Or...?

A dispute over the location of the fire hall?? A dispute over where a new one would be built, or what?

Well, I hope it all turns out okay for all that are involved...

[LaFireEducator]

Sounds like a case for CSI STERGIS.

[captstanm1]

Interesting to see where this leads.

[Rayr49]

As of this evening he hasn't been found. He is also a contractor and was apparently on his way to Vegas for a meeting.

It is not uncommon for the ranch country departments to have one or two pickups with water tank and pumps for the entire fleet. Everyone in the area can be a member and firefighter. Budgets are just enough to heat the hall and pay for insurance and necessary utilities.

I don't know the particular circumstances of the "federal money" but the local media, www.rapidcityjournal.com , is also reporting that he may have suffered a medical problem. There are a lot of areas in this part of the state with less than one person per square mile. His car is an orange Chevy with a homemade grill guard that should be easy to spot but thare are a lot of spots to disappear. There have been some local pilots flying the area also.

A couple of months ago we had an alzheimer's patient walk away from his home in a rural subdivision in the Black Hills. It took about ten days of searching including several dog teams to find his body about a mile from the house.

I hope thast they find him soon and he is still alive but chances decrease each day.


Stay Safe
IACOJ

[NJFFSA16]

Rest in peace brother

Missing man found dead

By Steve Miller, Journal Staff Writer

BISON -- Keith Carr, the Prairie City man missing since Saturday, has been found dead in the Slim Buttes area south of Reva.

A local rancher checking his cattle found Carr's vehicle early Wednesday afternoon, according to the Perkins County Sheriff's Office.

Carr, 70, apparently had left S.D. Highway 79 in the South Gap area of the Slim Buttes and driven east down a trail. His car became high-centered, and Carr apparently got out and continued walking east, according to Perkins County Sheriff Kelly Serr. Carr's body was found about 2-1/2 miles east of his car.

The cause of death is under investigation, but there was no evidence of foul play, according to sheriff's officials.

Carr was reported missing by his family Monday after he failed to show up at a convention in Las Vegas, where he was headed over the weekend.

He had left home Saturday afternoon for Rapid City. Authorities discovered that Carr hadn't checked into his Rapid City motel Saturday night and didn't show up for his flight Sunday at Rapid City Regional Airport.

[firenresq77]

Rest in Peace........

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

His car became high-centered,

???????

[Rayr49]

George,

We have a lot of dirt roads and "two track" trails in ranch country.

Some of the dirt roads receive minimumal or no maint. The "two tracks" receive no maint.

These minimumal maintenance roads develop ruts that are not fixed unless the local ranchers do it.

Apparently he went down this particular road to check an upcoming job site that he was going to move some heavy equipment to. When he became high centered, he continued walking east insted of going west towards the highway. The local speculation is that he went east because he walked with a pronounced limp that would have made it difficult for him to climb a hill to the west.

An autopsy is being conducted.

Rest in Peace

IACOJ

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

OK. But what does "high centered" mean?

[Rayr49]

Just that you hit ruts deep enough that the drive wheels of the vehicle can no longer get traction. The chassis is sitting on the ground and the ruts are deep enough that the suspension can't compensate so the wheel(s) can get traction. The ruts can be hidden by grass and weeds.

You can do the same thing in deep snow when you get enough snow compressed under the vehicle to lose traction.

Stay Safe,
IACOJ

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by Rayr49
Just that you hit ruts deep enough that the drive wheels of the vehicle can no longer get traction. The chassis is sitting on the ground and the ruts are deep enough that the suspension can't compensate so the wheel(s) can get traction. The ruts can be hidden by grass and weeds.

You can do the same thing in deep snow when you get enough snow compressed under the vehicle to lose traction.

Stay Safe,
IACOJ

Understood.