WASHINGTON, Mo. – The family of Kenny Loudermilk is asking for prayers and the public to not give up hope.
The 35-year-old paragliding pilot was last seen on Oct. 26. Witnesses said he crashed in the Missouri River near Washington, just east of Highway 47.
“We want to make sure we bring an awareness to keep an alert out for him and to keep an eye out to see anything that doesn’t look like it should be there,” said Kevin Baker, Loudermilk’s brother-in-law. “Let the authorities know.”
Family members have shared updates on social media. A GoFundMe has also been created to help with the search and provide support for Loudermilk’s 15-year-old daughter, Kylie. Her mother died when she was three.
Kylie calls her dad “awesome” and “adventurous.”
“He always had something planned, you know, loved to surprise me,” she said.
The family is not giving up hope, and they said they believe in the power of prayer. They are inviting the public to join them for a vigil at James Rennick Park in Washington on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Loudermilk’s family members said it is not clear what went wrong. They said Loudermilk was power paragliding to take in the view of the fall colors. Multiple searches have yet to give answers.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better dad,” Kylie said.
She is currently in the care of her grandparents.
“He did a fabulous job of raising our granddaughter, and he always wanted to be part of her life,” said Kenneth Loudermilk, Kenny’s father.
“We know that prayers can make miracles happen, and we have to bring Kenny home,” Baker said. “We want to light a light that just goes across the world just to pray together and bring him home.”