Family and friends search for any sign of missing teen

By Molly Waldron

CREATED Aug. 23, 2012

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  • The search continues for a teen swept away in a Henderson wash on Wednesday. Video by ktnv.com

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  • Henderson Public Works starts clearing debris from the wash to help locate missing 17-year-old William Mootz.

  • A helicopter aids in the effort to locate the missing teen.

  • About 100 people, including family and friends, help search for William.

  • A helicopter helps cover extensive ground during the search.

  • Volunteers gather to help continue the search for William on Thursday morning.

  • Those close to him say William is a wrestler and attends Green Valley High School.

  • The Pittman Wash turned to rapids after heavy rains on Wednesday morning.

  • When several 911 calls came in late Wednesday morning reporting William's disappearance, crews launched a search for the teen.

  • Authorities searched the Pittman Wash and surrounding areas to try to locate the teen.

  • One firefighter hurries to aid rescuers in the race to find William.

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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Crews have been searching all afternoon for a teen who was swept away in a wash on Wednesday.

They resumed their search Thursday morning and say they'll continue looking for any signs of 17-year-old William Mootz well into the evening.

Friends and family set up a base camp near Sam Boyd Stadium, where they handed out shovels and walked down along the flood channel. They combed through the area all day, hoping to find the teen alive.

William's sister, Christina, says he was just being a boy and having some fun when things turned for the worst. Authorities say William fell into the flood channel near Stephanie Street and Sunset Road at about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday.

READ MORE: 911 call released reporting teen's fall into Pittman Wash

The teen's family says he spends a lot of time outdoors, and are hoping he's using his Boy Scout skills to stay alive. 

"I know where we are on this, William's father, Charlie, said. "I don't want to admit it, I don't want to accept it, but it is what it is- we're pushing 24 hours." 

Relatives, friends and even strangers have joined the search, going out in shifts and wading through the water.

PHOTOS: Search for missing teen

The water receded Thursday as rains subsided, leaving dirt and debris and making it difficult for crews to search through.

"It's just extremely slippery," family friend Kevin Britton said. "Luckily with the Mootz family we've done an immense amount of hiking, so in a sick way we're prepared for this." 

Prepared to keep searching until they find the missing teen.

"We're going on like two hours of sleep," Britton said. "But this is what friendship and family is about."

William's father, Charlie, has been coordinating search efforts all day with the help and support of local police.

The search area is five miles long, from Sam Boyd Stadium all the way to the Lake Las Vegas area.