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Clear weather, more searchers aid GSMNP efforts to find missing hiker

A search for a missing person is underway in the Clingmans Dome area.

Knoxville — UPDATE (Sept. 30): The search for missing hiker Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements continued today.

Tennessee State Parks and a Cherokee National Forest crew were among groups that have joined the search, according to parks spokeswoman Julena Campbell.

While the clear weather has helped efforts, Campbell says the warmer than usual temperatures make safety and hydration a concern.

Campbell says they haven't found any clues that point to where Clements could have gone, but crews will continue the search tomorrow at 7 a.m.

UPDATE (Sept. 29 at 8:40p.m.): Crews just returned from the search for missing hiker Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements.

They concentrated people in the same area today. Tomorrow, they will add new areas to the search and more thoroughly investigate likely areas where Clements would have gone, parks spokeswoman Julena Campbell said.

Searchers will be briefed at 7 a.m. tomorrow and hit the trails as soon as there's light.

UPDATE (Sept. 29 at 2:10p.m.): The Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced Saturday afternoon that the park is mobilizing additional resources in its search for missing hiker Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements.

Trained personal from cooperating agencies in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia have responded to help park staff in a large-scale search effort for the missing woman in steep, rugged terain.

About 125 trained searchers and support personnel from more than 30 state and local agencies and search and rescue operations were searching Saturday. The park said officials have deployed helicopters, multiple canine teams and specialized search and rescue drones for the search effort.

The park closed Clingmans Dome Road to outside vehicles Thursday night, and the road will remain closed until further notice.

The closure will help "better facilitate search-related traffic and to ensure the safety of search crews."

The park said it can not estimate when it will re-open.

"We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this search and rescue operation," a Facebook post Friday said.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Clements is a city of Cincinnati employee. She works for the City Department of Sewers, Acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney told the Equirer.

Duhaney reportedly sent an email to the mayor and Cincinnati City Council Thursday, relaying the news. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Duhaney said that Clements and her daughter were hiking when they split up with a plan to reunite at their vehicle.

Officials said the pair made it to the top and they split up on their way down when the daughter said she wanted to go to the Clingmans Dome tower and Clements wanted to continue to the car.

Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld told The Enquirer that city employees are like one big family, "so it's scary to have one of our own missing." He added that he told Duhaney he would support deploying city resources or personnel to help find Clements.

According to NPS, Clements is a white female with light brown hair and blue eyes. She is 5’6” tall and weighs 125 pounds. She is wearing a green zip-up sweater, black workout pants over black leggings, a clear rain poncho, and white tennis shoes.

Anyone who saw Clements on Tuesday afternoon or since then is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch through one of the following methods: call or 1-888-653-0009, nps.gov/isb and click “submit a tip,” email nps_isb@nps.gov, or via a message on Facebook at “InvestigativeServicesNPS”, or Twitter @SpecialAgentNPS.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

A search for a missing hiker 53-year-old hiker from Cleves, Ohio is underway in the Clingmans Dome area, according to National Park Service spokesperson Julena Campbell.

Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements was hiking with her daughter on the Forney Ridge Trail, near Andrews Bald when the two separated on Tuesday, Sept. 25, according to a park spokeswoman. She was last seen around 5 p.m. about a quarter mile from Andrews Bald.

Andrews Bald is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains. It's known as the highest grassy bald in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is one of two grassy balds maintained in the range by the park service.

Park officials said they were alerted that Clements was missing on Tuesday evening and begin to search the area with no success.

Additional personnel were called in and officials expanded the search area on Wednesday, but poor weather conditions have made it difficult.

"The weather has certainly not helped this search," said park spokeswoman Julena Campbell. "Up in the higher elevations of the park it remains very foggy and very wet. And so that gives us limited visibility as well as making the conditions slippery for our searchers that are out there on trail and off trail."

Searchers spent Wednesday night on the Appalachian Trail attempting to locate Clements and interview any hikers in the area.

About 40 trained members of the park's Search and Rescue Team were searching Thursday morning.

"Our searchers come back pretty tired and pretty wet from the field but we keep sending new folks out there as needed," Campbell said.

According to NPS, Clements is a white female with light brown hair and blue eyes. She is 5’6” tall and weighs 125 pounds. She is wearing a green zip-up sweater, black workout pants over black leggings, a clear rain poncho, and white tennis shoes.

Anyone who saw Clements on Tuesday afternoon or since then is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch through one of the following methods: call or 1-888-653-0009, nps.gov/isb and click “submit a tip,” email nps_isb@nps.gov, or via a message on Facebook at “InvestigativeServicesNPS”, or Twitter @SpecialAgentNPS.

This is a developing story. 10News will update it as more information becomes available.

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