Crime & Safety

Reservoir Search for Missing BC Student Put on Hold; K-9 Search to Start

Dive teams will resume their search of the reservoir tomorrow morning.

With daylight fading in Chestnut Hill, State Police dive teams will resume their search tomorrow for missing student Franco Garcia. 

After more than an hour in the water, State Police divers came up with negative results in their search of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Prior to that, State Police spent roughly three hours searching the reservoir with a sonar scanner.

According to State Police Spokesman David Procopio, divers will be back around 8 a.m. Tuesday. 

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In the meantime, Procopio said State Police troopers will use a K-9 unit to search the area around the reservoir.  

, when he was last seen at Mary Ann's bar in Cleveland Circle (Brighton). 

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The search of the reservoir began Sunday with a State Police air unit doing a surface scan of the water. , which scans the bottom of the reservoir. 

After the sonar scan came up with negative results, State Police divers went into the water to search the "water column", or the area between the surface of the water and the bottom of the reservoir. The divers were towed behind a State Police boat while they searched reservoir, which is between 20-25 feet deep. 

Due to fading sunlight, the divers only scanned one section of the reservoir today. Procopio said State Police will likely have six divers on the scene tomorrow to finish the scan. 

The State Police air wing was also back today doing another scan of the reservoir, with negative results.

Procopio said earlier today that authorities do not have any reason to believe Garcia is in the reservoir, only that he has not been found anywhere else in the area.

According to Newton Police Capt. Paul Anastasia, authorities do not have any information at this time indicating that foul play was involved in Garcia's disappearance. 

Anastasia said police have interviewed a number of the students who were at Mary Ann's Tuesday night, as well as nearby business owners.

The situation surrounding Garcia's disappearance, Anastasia added, is "very unusual." 

of the area starting today at 3 p.m. The Facebook Group for Missing Student: Franco Garcia has posted, asking everyone who can help to meet at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir on the St. Thomas More street side.

Many of Garcia's friends and family members gathered at the reservoir today to hand out flyers and speak to the media. 

Friends have also set up a Twitter account with information: @FindFranco

Rachele Reis and Amelia Zani, two of Garcia's friends and classmates, are also asking anyone who may have taken photos at Mary Ann's Tuesday night -- regardless of whether they know if Garcia is in them -- is encouraged to send them to findfrancobc@gmail.com. Photos will remain private unless Garcia is spotted. 


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