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Search Effort For McCleary Girl Doubles

Posted: 3:10 pm PDT June 28, 2009Updated: 9:51 am PDT June 30, 2009

The search effort to find a 10-year-old girl in the South Sound town of McCleary is doubling Tuesday.

Lindsey Baum disappeared Friday night while walking home at about 9 p.m.

A field operations vehicle arrived at the McCleary Police Department in Grays Harbor County Tuesday morning as crews prepared to resume the search.

Undersheriff Rick Scott said ground search crews will focus on specific areas on the outskirts of town, such as brushy areas that children are known to frequent. It's possible a child could become tangled in heavy brush, he said.

In addition, the number of people searching Tuesday will double and a Washington State Patrol fixed-wing aircraft equipped with a FLIR will assist in the effort.

Since Friday, police and FBI agents have been stopping cars, volunteers handed out fliers and Thurston County dive teams have searched local creeks. Other officers took the contents out Dumpsters looking for clues.

On Monday, K-9 units, search volunteers, police and a helicopter looked all day for the girl but found no sign of her.

Dive teams will continue to search small ponds and lakes Tuesday.

On Monday, Lindsey's mother, Melissa Baum, said she believes her daughter was abducted as she walked home.

“Each hour that goes by, I am starting to get more and more panicky,” said Baum. She said Lindsey wanted to spend the night at a friend’s house about six blocks from her own home, but her friend’s mother, Kara Kampen, told her no.

WATCH IT: Missing Girl's Mother Says She's Getting 'Panicky'

“We're convinced somebody took her," Baum said.

Scott said his department is not yet ready to conclude that Lindsey was abducted because there is no evidence to indicate that's what occurred.

Meanwhile, candlelight prayer vigils will be held Tuesday night in both McCleary and a neighboring town, Elma.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office at 1-866-915-8299 or send an e-mail to: soadmin@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.