NORTH PORT -- NEW 1:00 p.m. North Port police and several other agencies, including the FBI, are combing the largely swampy areas of the Carlton Preserve in the third day of their search for Brian Laundrie.
In an interview conducted by the city of North Port, Commander Joe Fussell, the search leader, says they're working with ATVs. UTVs, and multiple drones. The drones are especially for use in areas that are too wet to be accessed. "75 percent of it is under water... we're expecting to get wet by the end of the day, and check the entire area for Brian Laundrie."
Laundrie says they're employing specialized drones from the Lee County Sheriff's Office that can operate at a higher altitude. Original story:
The search in the Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie is back on, after a one day break.
While FBI and local law enforcement have never stopped looking for Gabby Petito's fiance, there was a pause in search efforts at Carlton Reserve on Monday. That was the day FBI agents raided the home Laundrie shared with Petito and his parents. Today, at least eight law enforcement agencies are resuming the search, working from a different direction and including adjacent properties.
North Port police say searchers are wading through swamps infested with snakes and alligators, as well as flooded hiking and bike trails.
Searchers went through parts of the nature preserve Saturday and Sunday but didn't find Laundrie.
Photo: Getty Images/ North Port Police
1 of 3 2 of 3 3 of 3