Search crews looking for retired firefighter missing in Quinlan

QUINLAN, Texas - A ground search is underway in Hunt County for a missing retired Dallas firefighter.

Michael Chambers disappeared Friday. Surveillance video shows him leaving the Quinlan Walmart store a few hours before his wife called 911 to report that he wasn’t home.

Deputies: Missing man may have been abducted

“I didn’t find his wallet or any keys in the shop that’s locked up, which is not like him,” his wife said in the call.

Detectives believe Chambers may have been abducted. They are waiting on test results from blood found in his workshop.

Chambers’ family is pleading for help finding him.

“This is absolutely unlike him. He’s not a person that just disappears,” said Cherri Hanes, Chambers’ daughter. “Someone knows something, and we plead and entreat you if that person is here, call the Hunt County Sheriff’s Department.”

“Dad is the person that always helps everyone. Everyone goes to him for help. He never needs help. He rescues people. He never needs to be rescued,” added Suzy Losoya, another daughter.

More than 100 people gathered at the Walmart Wednesday morning. The group included three professional search teams along with nearly 80 volunteers. Some of them were retired co-workers of Chambers.

"Doing a search and rescue on one of your own is different than just going out to White Rock Lake and looking for somebody." said volunteer Jake Escamilla.

The ground search started at Chamber's Quinlan home. Search and rescue teams scoured the area with dogs. At nearby Lake Tawakoni, game wardens searched the shores by boat looking for clues.

"We just want to make sure we've got all this area covered just in case Mr. Chambers just walked off and maybe injured somewhere," said Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks.

"The idea that we don't have any contact with him is something that is a pretty bizarre situation," Escamilla said. "We have no idea what has happened here."

The Texas Rangers and FBI are also helping with the investigation.