Search for missing Texas A&M student Caleb Harris expands across North Padre Island

More than a week has passed since Caleb Harris, a 21-year-old college student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, went missing from his off-campus apartment, prompting a wider and more rigorous search across North Padre Island and contiguous areas of the city this week.

Family and friends from across the state have joined in the effort, including team members from Search and Rescue SATX, a professionally trained volunteer first responder organization based in San Antonio that deploys throughout the state.

Since last Friday, group members have scoured the island for clues related to Harris' disappearance, walking along roads, shorelines, nature preserves, and secluded areas of Oso Bay and Flour Bluff, including Victoria Park and Suter Wildlife Refuge.

On Tuesday morning, they searched the dunes near Padre Balli Park and moved their investigation to the Packery Channel and an inlet behind the International Trade Corridor in the afternoon, where people could be seen fishing along the bank.

The group brought dirt bikes and underwater drones to cover more ground and to search to depths of 300 feet below the water for six- to eight-hour periods.

"We have a group of people participating this morning, and a new group this afternoon," said Nina Glass, the organization's founder. "We're searching marshy areas and those that get very dark at night or that are easily accessible by car. Anything that will give us leads."

The New Braunfels man was last seen or heard from after walking his dog near his off-campus apartment, The Cottages at Corpus Christi, during the overnight hours of March 4, according to a news release on the Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) Blotter.

Family members reported him missing when his roommates were unable to locate him later that morning. An avid fisherman, he had been chatting with friends about a planned fishing trip and ordered food from UberEats between 2 and 3 a.m., after which his phone died or was turned off. He was wearing teal pants and a white shirt.

A preliminary search began at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 6, with police officers, college students, residents, friends and family gathering along a sidewalk in the 1900 block of Ennis Joslin Road near The Cottages apartment complex. CCPD police cadets looked for clothing items including shoes, a tie, and belt in the adjacent field, while police drones scoured the area.

Members of the CCPD Dive Team descended into the water of Oso Bay to investigate the areas that couldn’t be accessed on foot. The U.S. Coast Guard was also helping with the search.

Harris left his keys, vehicle, and wallet at the apartment, according to CCPD officers.

Police also searching for 24-year-old Alison Tackett

Harris' disappearance has widened the scope on missing people in Nueces County. Detectives are also looking for 24-year-old Alison Tackett, who was reported missing on Feb. 22.

She was last seen by her mother on Feb. 20 wearing a multi-colored sweater and blue jeans. She is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, and has red hair. The young woman also is in need of a prescription medication, which she has not had in several weeks.

According to the National Crime Information System (NCIS), about 600,000 people are reported missing across the U.S. each year. About 88% of the 546,568 total cases in 2022 were canceled or cleared due to individuals being found, returning home or invalid data.

The Department of Justice’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) database reports 24,271 open missing persons and 14,662 unidentified persons cases across 55 states and territories annually, with 40,375 and 7,067 cases resolved, respectively.

A January 2024 report indicated that of 1,153 total cases created, 94% of the 615 archived cases represented individuals who had been found alive. Most who go missing are between 21 and 30 years old.

Texas is among the top 10 states where people are reported as missing, unidentified, or unclaimed, NamUs shows.

Harris’ family members have been busy coordinating the search for days, posting flyers throughout the area and into downtown that alert people to his disappearance and who to contact if he is found. The search will continue until Harris is located.

Individuals can assist in the search by calling Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers at (361) 888-TIPS to report anonymous information to the police.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Search for missing student Caleb Harris expands on North Padre Island