Press conference scheduled for Casey Hathaway's disappearance
ERNUL, Craven County — January 23, 3:45 p.m. UPDATE:
Officials will hold a press conference at 5 p.m. at the Craven County Courthouse to discuss Casey Hathaway's disappearance. The 2 p.m. press conference never happened.
Stay with NewsChannel 12 for updates to this story by downloading our mobile app.
------------------
January 23, 2:00 p.m. UPDATE:
Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes said divers are assessing the ponds near the home. They have not got in the water yet. Around 400-500 volunteers have been out searching the area since 7:30 a.m.
Sheriff Hughes said they will not stop until Casey Hathaway is found. Hughes said the grandmother was the one who made the 911 call. Casey had been missing for 45 minutes at that point. It's unclear which grandmother was the one who placed the call. Hughes said Casey's mother is on the scene.
Multiple sheriff's offices are on the scene as well FBI, SBI and emergency management.
The Craven County Sheriff's Office announced they're also holding another press conference at 4:30 p.m. to bring the latest information on Casey Hathaway's disappearance.
------------------
January 23, 1:00 p.m. UPDATE:
The Craven County Sheriff's Office is holding a press conference at 2 p.m. to bring the latest information on Casey Hathaway's disappearance.
------------------
January 23, 9:30 a.m. UPDATE:
Authorities are no longer accepting volunteers due to the huge turnout Wednesday morning in the search for Casey Hathaway.
------------------
January 23, 9:00 a.m. UPDATE:
Authorities tell NewsChannel 12's Daisha Jones there are no new leads. Around 55-65 volunteers are searching the Ernul area where 3-year-old Casey Hathaway went missing around 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Authorities said they are still accepting volunteers and will continue to search for information.
------------------
January 23, 7:30 a.m. UPDATE:
A new search is underway for 3-year-old Casey Hathaway. The Craven County Sheriff's Office is asking all interested volunteers to meet near the intersection of Aurora and Toler roads in Ernul and check in with law enforcement for an assignment of an area to search.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are also participating in the search, per NewsChannel 12's Daisha Jones.
------------------
A missing person poster was issued for a 3-year-old boy missing in the Ernul area of Craven County.
Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes said Casey Hathaway went missing from his grandmother's home around 1 p.m. Tuesday. Hathaway was playing with two other children in the backyard. He was discovered missing when the two other children came inside. Officials said the grandmother and others searched for Hathaway for 45 minutes then called 911 when they couldn't find him.
Hathaway is 2-foot-4 and 25 pounds with strawberry blonde hair. He was last seen wearing a blue coat and dark-colored pants.
By Tuesday night, vehicles lined Aurora Road as person after person showed up to help search for Casey. Sheriff Hughes said more than 100 people showed up to join the search.
"We are doing everything we can to find this child, utilizing all resources at our disposal and once again, we want these folks in the Cayton Community and Ernul Community to certainly keep an ear out," said Hughes. "We've got well over 100 volunteers that have come here."
There are currently law enforcement officers from the Craven County Sheriff's Office, the N.C. Highway Patrol and other organizations searching for Casey along with volunteers who have come onto the scene and offered to help. Volunteers have been turned away but are encouraged to come back Wednesday, if needed. Hughes said the SBI and FBI were also on the way to help.