The search for missing teen Sebastian Rogers has intensified as the United Cajun Navy (UCN) joins the efforts nearly a month after his disappearance. The 15-year-old autistic boy vanished from his Sumner County residence on Feb. 26, sparking widespread concern and an Amber Alert.
According to WKRN, the United Cajun Navy, a group of volunteers known for disaster response, has broadened its mission to include missing persons and directed resources toward finding Rogers. On Saturday, the organization announced that they had deployed a search team accompanied by a K-9 unit. This move comes after the tragic resolution of the search for 22-year-old Riley Strain, whose body was discovered in the Cumberland River on March 22.
The commitment of the local community in Hendersonville was evident as volunteers gathered to scour the challenging landscape at the Rockland Recreation Area, alongside Sebastian’s father. They faced the aftermath left by a tornado that hit the area last December, which left the search area littered with fallen trees and debris. "It's really difficult to get through," Rachel Barry Stinson, one of the volunteers, told NewsChannel 5.
The UCN, which previously aided in the search for another missing person, decided to assist in the Rogers case following a request from the boy's father Seth. "We are not currently seeking volunteers," a UCN representative stated in a press conference, as reported by WVLT, however, an impacted mother, Erin Corter, emphasized the need for more people to join the search. "It speaks to my heart because I’m living that same reality with a son that’s autistic," Corter said in an empathetic expression of solidarity.
As the search progresses, the commitment of both volunteers and the United Cajun Navy remains strong in the hope of finding Sebastian Rogers and bringing closure to his family and the community that has been touched by his disappearance.
