Radar fails to turn up new clues in Aruba

3/24/2006

A Sylvania Township firm's search in Aruba for missing teen Natalee Holloway ended yesterday without clues to her whereabouts.

Police on the Dutch island were acting on a tip that Miss Holloway was buried somewhere in dunes in a beach area about the size of two football fields and needed some high-tech help.

Ground Penetrating Radar Systems of Sylvania Township donated an employee and its ground radar equipment to search the area after they were contacted by Don Wood, head of Child Watch in Orlando, through an Internet search.

"They got down there and searched beach areas and caves," Mr. Wood said.

Unfortunately, he said, nothing was found.

The company has volunteered its services for future searches, if needed, Mr. Wood said.

Miss Holloway disappeared May 30 while on a post-graduation trip to Aruba.

She last was seen with several local teenagers, including the son of a judge.

Her disappearance and the local authorities' handling of the still-unsolved case stirred a U.S. media blitz.

Authorities there were criticized for the slow progress on the case and also beset by allegations that locals who might have been involved in the case were being protected.

The latter prompted Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and others to call for a travel boycott of Aruba, located in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.