February 25, 2009
The Montgomery County Pct. 1 Constable’s Office Dive Team joined Texas Equusearch on Monday in their quest to find Dr. Stephen Zella, who disappeared while kayaking in Clear Lake on Friday morning. Authorities said a passerby alerted the nearest kayaker after seeing a man who appeared to be drowning, and the second man tried to find Zella, but found his empty kayak instead. The 38-year-old doctor is a Clear Lake resident.
Multiple agencies responded to assist in the search on Friday, including area fire departments, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division and the US Coast Guard. Texas Equusearch joined the effort the next morning, at the request of law enforcement, and later solicited the assistance of the Pct. 1 Dive Team. Dive Master Vernon Miller readily agreed. The two entities have worked together many times in the past, making numerous recoveries under the worst of conditions.
Strong winds and excessive debris from Hurricane Ike on the floor of the lake have increased the difficulty of the task, even for the experienced and elite group that is conducting the dives and using sonar equipment in the search.
The Texas Equusearch website has a daily posting of their progress in the search and regarding the need for volunteers. The page says the organization’s founder, Tim Miller, has promised Zella’s family that Texas Equusearch will not give up.
A heartbreaking message from Zella's children appears on the site with the updates.
The search will continue today.
To learn more about the Zella search, visit:
Texas Equusearch
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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