BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Officers hugged one another Monday night as the fourth day of searching for Officer Craig Lehner came to a close. They stayed at the Broderick Park staging area until after dark.
Some first responders held a private prayer vigil.
There are resources here from Erie, Allegany and Monroe Counties, NYPD, NYS Police, Customs and Border Patrol, among others. They are all looking for any sign of Officer Lehner, trying to bring him home.
“It’s the speed of the river, it’s the debris field, it’s the current, the wind, the perfect storm of conditions is making it extremely difficult,” said Lt. Jeff Rinaldo, with the Buffalo Police Department.
On Friday, Officer Lehner went missing during a river training exercise with the Underwater Rescue Team.
Army Corps of Engineer boats used sophisticated, 3D mapping technology on Monday. Each pass adds a layer to the map, providing more details about what lies on the bottom of the Niagara River.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs,” said Lt. Rinaldo. “We get word there’s a possible sonar hit on something and our spirits pick up a little bit and then it goes right back down.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office added its own sonar equipment to the search.
“It’s the right thing to do,” said Captain Paul DeLella.
He said they also have robots that can take pictures underwater, but it was too rough to use them.
“The ROV cannot fight the current,” he said. “The current is just taking the ROV and doing whatever it’s going to do with it.”
Sunday’s rain also caused low visibility for divers, at only about a foot. Divers were pulled from the water as boats continued the search using sonar technology.
Helicopters captured images from above.
“From the point the diver went in to where the diver became in trouble,” said Lt. Rinaldo.
He told News 4 when divers get in trouble, they can cut their tender line, dump their buoyancy control or take off the weight belt.
“Worst case scenario, if they’re hung up with all, or any portion of that gear they can literally take the tank, the weight belt, the buoyance control, pop it all off and then their wet suit would bring them up,” said Lt. Rinaldo.
He said they haven’t found any equipment, or any sign of Officer Lehner. They don’t plan on stopping the search until they’ve brought him home.
“I would expect for the next few days we’ll see this operation continue the way it is because there are still parts of the river that we have yet to really focus and concentrate on,” said Lt. Rinaldo.
The search resumed Tuesday morning.
