Family seeks closure after remains of Cresson plant worker still missing

Family members of a plant worker whose body has not been found since an explosion last week say they are angry.

Though Dylan Mitchell's parents say they're not directing that anger toward the Hood County chemical plant where he worked or toward the firefighters who still haven't been able to locate him. They're angry because they don't have closure.

The fire is finally out, but the unstable nature of the building is what is taking so long to find 27-year-old Dylan Mitchell.

The past several days have been painful for Desiray and Vernon Mitchell. After their son was killed in the chemical plant explosion in Cresson last Thursday, Dylan’s remains are still unaccounted for.

"There's nothing to do. We can't do anything but wait,” Vernon said. “And the waiting is getting tough."

"You're in limbo. Numb,” Desiray said. “I just don't know what direction to go."

The parents want people to know how much their son loved his 6-year-old daughter and how proud they are of him.

"Dylan put a lot of heart and soul into getting that company up and going,” Desiray said. “And that was one of his other babies, and he worked hard."

"He was one step from safety and chose to go back to see if he could help,” Vernon said.

Investigators are waiting on the fire to burn itself out before that can search through the entire plant. Dangerous chemicals spilled and mixed during the explosion. Cleanup has been a slow, methodical process.

One of the two other workers injured by the explosion remains hospitalized.

"I mean we all knew it was dangerous, but not to this magnitude,” said Dylan’s sister, Cheyenne Mitchell. “He never let us know that."

Dylan's family is angry, but not at fire officials or the owners of Tri-Chem Industries.

"We can't be mad at the Lord because the Lord doesn't hurt us,” Vernon said. “It was an accident, as far as I know. And that's how I'm going to look at it until I'm told otherwise."