BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A search crew of family, friends, and community members are on the lookout, and a daughter is pleading for her father’s safe return home.
“I am a little bit more distressed now though. Seeing as we have not found any signs of him. Um, I am trying to keep my hopes up but it is kind of hard,” said Brianna Dugan.
Dugan spent her Saturday searching the woods along the bike path at the Ethan Allen Homestead.
Her dad, Joseph Gagnon, has been missing for about a week after crashing his car and leaving the scene of the accident.
Dugan says this isn’t like him and she hopes he turns up soon.
“No he has never gone missing, or anything like this. If anything, he’s forgotten to pay his phone bill. That’s the most he’s gone without contact,” said Dugan.
On Friday, March 14th at around 7:45 p.m., 52-year-old Gagnon crashed his car through the fence on Route 127 along the bike path.
According to police, they believe he ran into the woods. Family members say, they last heard he had planned to run home, but never made it.
Police have been canvassing the area by foot and drone. About a dozen people searched for two and a half hours but found nothing.
People like Shantri Walsh say this is not the first time she has done a search like this.
“The first one I did was in Springfield Vermont, January first. I am from Vermont, born and raised. Vermont strong no matter what, I would be there for anybody really that needed help.” said Walsh.
The family asks if you see Gagnon anywhere please call the Burlington Police Department as soon as possible. Gagnon’s daughter says in the meantime she is going to continue looking for her father.
