Search Is On For Mooresville Teacher Missing In Mexico

DAVIDSON, NC — A search effort is underway in northern Mexico for Patrick Braxton-Andrew, a 34-year-old Davidson resident and teacher at the Woodlawn School in Mooresville, who went missing during a hike in a rural area near Copper Canyon more than a week ago.

Braxton-Andrew was reported missing Sunday, Oct. 28 after he failed to meet with his brother in Mexico City. It’s believed he went missing while hiking near the town of Urique, and Mexican authorities are now searching the Copper Canyon gorge area, The Charlotte Observer reported.

The Davidson College graduate is a fluent spanish speaker and teaches the language at the Woodlawn school, and travels to the Central America regularly, the newspaper said.

Early search efforts were focused on hiking trails in the area, with about 20-50 searchers coming the terrain Nov. 1, according to an update by his family on a Facebook page devoted to relaying information about search and rescue efforts. “They are checking trails in the local area as it is believed that Patrick was either injured while hiking or has gotten lost,” the site said.

By Nov. 3, the search included state and local Mexican authorities, and had expanded to neighboring towns.

Word of the Davidson resident’s disappearance has spread throughout the community and Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox urged the community to take to social media and Twitter under #findPat or @findpba.

“The more touches we get on this the better because its going on six days now," Knox said Saturday. There’s an extensive search effort going on but we want to bring Pat home.

“Patrick went missing in Mexico on Sunday and there’s an extensive search and rescue effort going on for him right now. Please keep Patrick and his family and friends in all of your thoughts. We all miss him greatly and know he’ll be back with us soon,” Knox said.

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