CAMP BLANDING, FL (WMC) - A soldier from Memphis went missing during a training exercise in Florida.
Officials with Clay County Sheriff's Office in Florida said Cayln McLemore, an Army Reservist, was in a military training class and did not make it to a rallying point at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
McLemore's family confirmed that he has died.
At 4 p.m. Friday, Sgt. Keith Smith said Clay County Sheriff's Office was still dedicated to finding McLemore.
"We have not made contact [with McLemore]. The search will continue. We will go throughout the night. We will not stop," Smith said.
Earlier in the search, crews found some of the items McLemore was given to help him complete the training exercise. One item that was not found, was McLemore's canteen. That detail is giving search crews hope that McLemore is doing the things necessary to survive in the Florida heat.
McLemore, 25, graduated from Melrose High School and has spent the last six years in the Army Reserves. His family said they plan to drive to Florida tonight to help with the search.
According to NBC affiliate First Coast News, the training assignment given to McLemore was designed to test the soldiers' navigational skills. They were given equipment and maps to find their way across a 1,000-acre area of woods at Camp Blanding in Florida. The exercise usually takes an hour or so.
Friday, Smith said a second group of investigators was getting ready to relieve the daytime search crew. The second crew plans to search through the night for McLemore.
If they don't find anything, the first crew will resume their search Saturday morning.
"It is so hard to get through because that area is so big," Smith said. "It's extremely important that we get to him as quickly as we can."
Smith said soldiers have gotten off course before, but are usually found within 30 minutes to an hour. All soldiers who have previously participated in this training exercise have returned safely.
The search for McLemore is utilizing ATV, officers on horseback, K-9s and air units. Some of McLemore's equipment has been found, but the soldier is still missing.
Investigators do not believer McLemore is AWOL. Instead they believe the heat and rough terrain caused McLemore to fall off course. The course is swamp land with waters and marsh that are at times chest deep.
“[He is a] squared away soldier, hard charger, just wanted to go out there and complete the course and probably pushed it to the limit in this extreme heat," Smith said.
Several different agencies are leading the search to find McLemore, and they believe there is no reason to find his absence suspicious.
Copyright 2018 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.
CAMP BLANDING, FL (WMC) - A soldier from Memphis went missing during a training exercise in Florida.
Officials with Clay County Sheriff's Office in Florida said Cayln McLemore, an Army Reservist, was in a military training class and did not make it to a rallying point at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
McLemore, 25, graduated from Melrose High School and has spent the last six years in the Army Reserves. His family said they plan to drive to Florida tonight to help with the search.
According to NBC affiliate First Coast News, the training assignment given to McLemore was designed to test the soldiers' navigational skills. They were given equipment and maps to find their way across a 1,000-acre area of woods at Camp Blanding in Florida. The exercise usually takes an hour or so.
Clay County Sgt. Smith said soldiers have gotten off course before, but are usually found within 30 minutes to an hour. All soldiers who have previously participated in this training exercise have returned safely.
The search for McLemore is utilizing ATV, officers on horseback, K-9s and air units. Some of McLemore's equipment has been found, but the soldier is still missing.
Investigators do not believer McLemore is AWOL. Instead they believe the heat and rough terrain caused McLemore to fall off course. The course is swamp land with waters and marsh that are at times chest deep.
“[He is a] squared away soldier, hard charger, just wanted to go out there and complete the course and probably pushed it to the limit in this extreme heat," Smith said.
Several different agencies are leading the search to find McLemore, and they believe there is no reason to find his absence suspicious.
Copyright 2018 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.
