BLOOMINGTON - Police searching for a missing IU student are getting lots of help from the Bloomington community and beyond.
Volunteers gathered in Bloomington for another day of searching for 20-year-old Lauren Spierer Thursday. This time, Joe Meyer and others were sent to search a park on the southwest side. Meyer flew in from Philadelphia to help.
"Clearly, you go blank, because who's used to this type of thing, you're not," said Meyer.
Meyer has known Spierer's father, Robert, for 35 years. When he heard of Lauren's disappearance, he knew he had to be here.
"Just seeing a familiar face is helpful to the Spierers," he said.
Angela Young was also looking through the brush. Unlike Meyer, she doesn't know the Spierers, but still felt compelled to help.
"My own two daughters, I'll be looking at sending them to college in nine and seven years and I'd want someone to do this for me," she said.
Bill Beers felt the same way, even after scratching himself up after falling in the brush.
"It's the human thing to do," Beers said.
While Meyer planned to head home Friday, he said more of the Spierer's friends were already en route to Bloomington to support the family and find Lauren.
"She's an adorable girl and she's a nice girl. Both she and Rebecca, her sister are both wonderful children, 'cause they come from a great family. And as they say, this is something that shouldn't happen to any family, university or not," Meyer said.
