OHP Talks Resources Available During Missing Person Cases

Law enforcement agencies from around the state, including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), flooded into Cyril last week in search of Athena Brownfield.

For more information on Athena's case, click here.

News 9’s Feliz Romero spoke to OHP about what resources they have to assist in missing person cases.  

The agency said not only are they a resource for residents, but they are also a resource for smaller departments around the state who may need assistance finding someone.  

They’re heartbreaking cases for everyone involved, including law enforcement agencies with boots on the ground searching alongside residents.  

“Troopers have families and loved ones as well, and when they go home, and they take this bullet proof vest off, they’re just people like everyone else. When it comes to dealing with situations where people may be missing, people may be hurt that plays on us,” Trooper Eric Foster with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.  

OHP said they have a toolbox of resources when it comes to a missing person case. 

Foster said state-of-the-art equipment allows them to help smaller departments when requested.   

“We can assist on the water, we have a full-time water division, we constantly have people on the water. We are responsible for all Oklahoma’s waterways. Our boats are also outfitted with side scan sonar, meaning we can see the bottom or the topography of the bottom of waterways. We can identify things they are trained in grid searching on water,” he said.