Firefighters, police and K9 Search and Rescue teams spent time today (Jan. 31, 2014) searching the coal pockets between Summit Hill and Coaldale for a 24 year-old man missing since January 20. The search started around 4 PM and ended after dark with no success. The missing person was identified as Corey Michael Samuels of Coaldale.
Samuel’s Facebook page states he graduated from William Allen High School in Allentown in 2008. It added that he later joined the Marine Corps; discharging in 2012.
Two staging locations were set up in preparation to the search. They included St. Joseph’s Church parking lot in Summit Hill and the Third Street mine entrance in Coaldale. K9 units with Northeast Search and Rescue’s Unit and Valley Search and Rescue also assisted in the search.
On January 23, a family member of Samuels contacted the Coaldale Police Department to report Samuels missing. He was then entered in NCIC/CLEAN as a missing person. Further information from police shows that Samuels was last seen on January 20 at 10 PM in the south side of the Borough on the Lehigh Anthracite Mine property. Samuels is described as a 24 year old white male, 5 foot 9 inches, and approximately 160 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes, and a tattoo of a joker on his left arm. They added that he also wears glasses with a goatee.
Crews are expected to search the mountain and coal pockets again Saturday morning.
The Coaldale Police Department encourages the public to contact their department or contact Schuylkill County Communication Center at (570) 668-6100 with any information.
Google Maps Imagery: http://goo.gl/maps/sYcFA.