TOOELE COUNTY — Search and rescue crews from Tooele and Juab counties continued looking Friday for a young couple who hasn't been heard from for a week.
Brelynne "Breezy" Otteson, 17, and Riley Powell, 18, were planning to drive from Tooele to Eureka. Varying reports from law enforcers and friends stated the couple was last heard from sometime between Dec. 29 and Dec. 31.
Tooele County Sheriff's Lt. Ron Johnson said Powell was known to enjoy going exploring off-road. Officials believe the couple may have gone on a dirt road and become stuck. The Tooele County Sheriff's Office is assisting the Juab County Sheriff's Office, who has the lead in the case.
Search and rescue crews, as well as others, such as the Utah Off Road Recovery Team, have been searching for Powell's late ’90s, early 2000s blue Jeep Cherokee along the dirt roads off state Route 36, the Five Mile Pass area and the East Tintic Mountains.
Johnson said family members have told searchers that Powell's Jeep had more than 200,000 miles on it and the tires weren't great. Working in favor of the search crews, however, was the fact there hasn't been a signficant snowstorm in the search area in the past week. And the ground has been frozen, so the chance of getting stuck in mud wasn't high, Johnson said.
Still, depending on where they went, searchers fear the couple may have gotten stuck or their vehicle broke down. The couple had older model cellphones that require Wi-Fi in order to place a call, Johnson said, something the remote areas of Tooele and Juab counties that are being searched don't have.
Family members reported the two missing on Tuesday after not hearing from them, something relatives say is unusual for them.
Contributing: Caitln Burchill