Missing firefighter called in sick to work before vanishing
RICHMOND, Va. --A missing suburban Washington, D.C. paramedic and firefighter called in sick to work before she vanished nearly a week ago,reports CBS affiliate WUSA.
At a news conference Tuesday, Fairfax County, Virginia Fire Chief Richard Bowers described 31-year-old Nicole Mittendorff as a high-achiever who is well-liked by her colleagues and always put others first. He asked for the public's help as about 100 searchers scoured the rugged terrain of the Shenandoah National Park, where Mittendorff's car was found Saturday.
Family members have said she is an avid runner and tri-athlete who might have been training in the park.
A park spokeswoman says the search area encompasses about 10 square miles of the 300-square-mile park. Portions of five trails are closed for the search.
Mittendorff last had contact by text message with her family on Wednesday. That day, she called in sick before her shift, reports WUSA. She was reported missing on Friday when she didn't show up for work at Fairfax County's station 32.
Friends and neighbors tell WUSA that Mittendorff was separated from her husband, but the two may have been trying to reconcile. They said the woman may not have been living in the couple's Woodbridge townhouse at the time she disappeared.
The woman's husband Steven Mittendorff, a Virginia State Police sergeant, gave an emotional statement at a Tuesday press conference.
"As you can imagine, the pain of not knowing where a loved one is can be unbearable," he said.
Virginia State police have reportedly already received more than 100 tips. They're investigating the disappearance as a missing person case and they say they have no evidence to indicate foul play.