Wise County officials say volunteers not needed at this time to help find Athena Strand

David Montesino
·2 min read
18

As North Texas authorities continue the search for 7-year-old Athena Strand, the Wise County Office of Emergency Management said volunteers will not be needed at this time.

“To ensure the message is clear and there is no confusion… there has not been a request for volunteers,” according to a post on the emergency management office’s Facebook page. “At this time, we will not be utilizing volunteers to assist with the search.”

Athena was last seen in the 200 block of County Road 3573 in Paradise. The Texas Department of Public Safety issued an Amber Alert for her Thursday afternoon, describing her as endangered.

The search began after the young girl’s stepmother reported her missing Thursday afternoon. According to the Wise County Messenger, the family had been looking for Athena for an hour when they called the authorities.

The search for Athena has prompted requests to help and the Wise County Sheriff’s Office is letting people know to tune in to the county’s emergency management for more information.

“The best way to assist with finding Athena is to share and respect the information posted by official sources only,” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page. “Any request for volunteers or supplies will be posted on Wise County Office of Emergency Management.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wise County Sheriff’s Office at 940-627-5971.

What the emergency management office wants people to know:

  • No volunteers are needed at this time.

  • Arriving on scene to offer assistance or bring supplies will only hinder the search by taking time and resources from authorities.

  • Share and respect the information posted by official sources only.

  • Stay clear of the search area unless there is an official request.

Any request for volunteers and supplies will be posted on the official emergency management office Facebook page.