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BISMARCK — A missing teenager who left the Bismarck High School in November likely jumped off of the Memorial Bridge in Bismarck, and on Friday, May 6, authorities asked the public to keep an eye out for any evidence of him in or along the Missouri River.
Chase Hurdle, 18, was last seen Nov. 2 when he walked out of the Bismarck High School early that morning. Cellphone tower data and cameras tracked him to the Bank of North Dakota, and witnesses told police that they saw Hurdle on Bismarck's Memorial Bridge "right before" authorities received a report of a man jumping off the bridge.
A North Dakota Highway Patrol K-9 tracked a scent to the bridge and then lost it where the individual jumped.
"All of these reasons have led Bismarck Police to believe Chase is that person," the Bismarck Police Department said on Friday.
A silver alert was issued for Hurdle shortly after he was reported missing because has a history of amnesia, the police said.
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Authorities have conducted "numerous operations" to locate the person who jumped off of the bridge, but the searches have failed, police said.
The Bismarck Police Department is asking people who may be boating or walking along the Missouri River to look out for any evidence that may surface regarding the person's jump off the bridge. Officials are not asking the public to take action, rather to be aware of any evidence and call 911 if they see something floating downstream.
"The parents of Chase want closure, and if the individual that jumped off the bridge is him, the more awareness we have the better," the Bismarck Police Department said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Michelle Griffith, a Report for America corps member, at mgriffith@forumcomm.com.
