John Jefferson
A Florida woman is missing in South Carolina after authorities found her empty vehicle off a dirt road in Allendale County with the keys still inside on Tuesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.
Callers reported Jessica Rapsys, 27, missing on Aug. 13 around 8 p.m., and gave Allendale County dispatch an address along a dirt road by Creek Plantation – a private tract of land in Martin currently used for horse breeding, according to the county’s website.
It is still unclear why Rapsys was in the Creek Plantation area on Tuesday, Allendale County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Steven Robinson told Fox News Digital.
Robinson, who responded to the scene of Rapsys’ disappearance himself on the evening of Aug. 13, said the area where officials located her vehicle is “heavily wooded and swampy,” particularly after recent heavy rainfall in the area.
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“The vehicle was stuck on the railroad tracks. We notified CSX, the railroad company, to halt all the trains coming through that area,” Robinson said.
Authorities also conducted a preliminary check of Rapsys’ vehicle, “which had no one in or around it,” Robsinson said.
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Employees at Creek Plantation searched the area on horseback Tuesday, according to the chief deputy.
“It was dark.… We needed as much assistance as we could get,” he added.
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The sheriff’s department called in authorities from neighboring counties, including Hampton County, which responded with bloodhounds. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) dispatched a tracking team to the area on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday morning, the Department of Energy aviation unit launched two helicopters over the area and began conducting grid searches along with SLED, Robinson said. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also dispatched four-wheelers on Wednesday.
The Creek Plantation area comprises 2,526 “acres of timberlands and open fields used for agriculture,” according to the Allendale County website.
Rapsys is described as a 27-year-old woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call 803-584-7067 or the communications non-emergency line 803-584-8152.
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