Search For Missing Duquesne Student Continues In Ohio River

ROCHESTER (KDKA) -- The search for missing Duquesne student Dakota James continued Saturday morning in the Ohio River.

Dozens of volunteers, many of them certified swiftwater rescue workers, used boats and drones to search 27 miles of the Ohio River.

"What we're trying to do is cover all the bases from the land into the water. Since we have all these experts out here in the water, we want to take advantage of their services," said coordinator Larry Forletta.

High tech equipment was utilized, including sonar and drones that were used to examine rough terrain along the shoreline.

While volunteers were searching the river, another crew gathered to search in North Park.

"We're just expanding our search into wooded areas, not for any specific reason, we're just expanding the search out in several different parks," said Dakota James' mother Pam.

She is thanking volunteers for donating their time and resources to the search.

"Sure it makes you feel better, it helps you every day to have the support that we have, it makes it a little bit easier," Pam James said.

James went missing on Jan. 25. He was reportedly seen at the Wood Street T Station late that night. Surveillance footage shows him walking through Katz Plaza in Downtown Pittsburgh around 11:45 p.m.

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