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Diana Woolery doesn't know what might have happened to her son and his friend a week ago, but a community is coming together to help look for the two natural gas pipeline construction workers.
Diana's son Brian Axe, and Mark Widegren, both 28 years old, of Grand Junction, Colo., were last seen Jan. 28 after leaving a bar in Price, and mysteriously went missing in east-central Utah's Carbon County.
"It has been an emotional roller-coaster," Woolery, said describing the past week. "We have got to find these boys."
Axe spoke with his wife Saturday night before he and Widegren went to Winger's restaurant to have dinner. Later, the two went to watch a game at the Silver Dollar Sports Club and closed their $40 tab at about 11:30 p.m. The rest is unknown.
"They both went out the front door [of the bar] and just kind of vanished," Woolery said.
She found out her son and Widegren, who is a recent brain cancer survivor, were missing several days later when on Tuesday a co-worker noticed the two natural gas pipeline construction workers employed by WC Striegel Co. didn't show up for work.
Since Wednesday Woolery and other family members have been handing out fliers from Green River to Price hoping someone has at least seen the 2000 gold Jeep Cherokee the men were driving.
"I'm realistic, and also a mother," she said Saturday. "I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst." She said because of the brain cancer, Widegren has to take anti-seizure medication daily, and has been without it since they left work.
"These two are childhood friends and as far as I am concerned, they are both my boys," Woolery said.
The Carbon County Sheriff's Office had a helicopter search the rugged area and ravines to no avail on Wednesday and a plane flew the area on Friday and Saturday.
"Still have found nothing, not even a track," Carbon County Deputy Sheriff Wally Hendricks said.
He said they would deploy search-and-rescue teams, if they knew where to send them.
"Right now it is a blank canvassing of general areas," Hendricks said. "Hopefully we will find something that will give us direction."
Cell phone records gave a better location of when the men last had service and where. So on Saturday volunteers and the sheriff's office moved from searching the Nine Mile Canyon area of east-central Utah's Carbon County to searching the foothills 10 miles southeast of Price and the Nine Mile Canyon.
A few friends and family have also been helping search, but it has expanded to more than 75 volunteers including perfect strangers bringing trucks and four-wheelers to help.
"I can definitely hand it to the community" Woolery said, "they have some great people here."
The Sportsman's Warehouse in Grand Junction donated two-way radios and several local businesses in Price have given food discounts to family and other searchers, Woolery said. The Holiday Inn she and her family are staying at even offered a banquet hall as an area for the family to set up a command post.
Hendricks said this is considered a missing persons case and there is no evidence to suggest foul play, but added, "We are definitely not ruling out any possibilities."
The sheriff's office has also asked the Chamber of Commerce to have local businesses view their surveillance video to see if there is any other evidence of where these men went.
Nine Mile Canyon actually is about 40 miles long, stretching from Carbon to Duchesne County. It is renowned for its ancient Native American rock art.
The family asks anyone wanting to assist with their search efforts call the Abby and Jennifer Recovery Foundation at 970-260-1821.
Twitter: @CimCity —
How to help
P Those who want to assist in search efforts can contact the Abby and Jennifer Recovery Foundation. > 970-260-1821.