Wolfe Co. Hosts Joint-effort Search for Vanessa Baker
JACKSON, KY. – Personnel from multiple Kentucky Emergency Management regions participated in a multi-state, joint agency search for Vanessa Baker, the sole missing person from the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky, in late July 2022. The search was organized and hosted by Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team, who brought together over 160 searchers, covering 1067 acres along the North Fork Kentucky River in Breathitt County on January 7, 2023. Campbell County KY Office of Emergency Management provided the Campbell County LandSAR's Mobile Command Post where operations and communication flowed from during the search. Over 170 man-hours from KYEM personnel have been dedicated to this operation since late August from Campbell County alone. This does not include the hours of dedicated from state level coordination and additional county efforts in the region. KYEM has coordinated efforts with KYTC for aerial drone footage and worked with multiple canine search teams and underwater drone searches, for example. It was an honor to patriciate in this search alongside so many dedicated individuals who carry the same perseverance to bring Vanessa Baker home to her family as we do.