The search is on for John Eaton, 44, a teacher at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences who went missing Sunday afternoon.
Eaton's wife, Melissa, said she last saw him around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday when he left his Soddy-Daisy home for the school to grade papers and prepare for Monday. She said he usually spends several hours there and comes home around 10 p.m., but when she woke up the next day, she noticed he never came home.
Video footage from the school shows he never arrived.
On Tuesday, volunteers gathered in the school's parking lot to divvy up sections of his commute to search for him.
"I want to thank the community for coming out. John is our life. Our heart," Melissa Eaton said to the group before they dispersed. "We will always remember this. We want him back and we love him."
John EatonEaton is a father of four who has been teaching at CSAS for two years. He was last seen driving a 2007 Silver Kia Sedona with Disney and Star Wars stickers covering its rear. The passenger side view mirror is also missing.
On Tuesday, volunteers split into groups of three or four and took off for sections of the 16-mile route between the school and Eaton's home. Once there, they got out of their cars and walked, checking the embankments for any sign that the van went off the road.
"[Monday] we worked with police and organized what the next steps are," Melissa Eaton said. "We have four kids who are just hanging on by a thread, but the turnout from our community makes my heart very grateful."
Robert Parks, John Eaton's longtime friend, said the missing man takes medication for blood pressure, which could have contributed to whatever caused him to go missing.
"We need to find him. It's entirely possible he had some kind of event and went off the road," he said.
As for the van, he told volunteers, "it's a little beat up and you'll know it when you see it."
Matt Lea, spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, said the family has been cooperative and helpful in the effort to find Eaton.
"A missing persons report has been completed by the family and investigators with the [sheriff's office] are working closely with the family and processing information as it becomes available," he said.
Residents are encouraged to be on the lookout, and anyone who sees either John Eaton or the van is encouraged to contact police immediately.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.