What is the United Cajun Navy and how can it help find Riley Strain in Nashville?

The family of Riley Strain, a 22-year-old who went missing in Nashville earlier this month, said during a Tuesday press conference that it has asked the United Cajun Navy to help find their son.

Metro Nashville Police Department’s search efforts for Strain, a University of Missouri student, are in their second week. United Cajun Navy director of operations David Flagg appeared at the Public Square Park news conference, along with MNPD lead detective Anthony Chandler, with information on how the non-profit volunteer group is helping expand the search.

The United Cajun Navy is known for its natural disaster responses, notably hurricanes, but also assists in missing person cases.

Here’s why it is looking for Strain and how it can help.

What is the United Cajun Navy?

The 501(c)3 nonprofit United Cajun Navy stems from what began as a group of rescuers who banded together in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

People who fanned out with privately owned boats to rescue people stranded by Katrina were initially just known as the Cajun Navy. The United Cajun Navy formed later as a non-profit and incorporated chapters in multiple states.

What does the United Cajun Navy do?

Since Katrina, the United Cajun Navy has built a network of trained volunteers that has been deployed to major hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters. The group helped in Kentucky during the 2021 tornado outbreak there.

Its efforts also include fundraisers, community building events, and resources at "no cost to those who need them," according to its website.

In November 2023, the United Cajun Navy spent two weeks searching for David Schultz, a trucker who went missing in Iowa.

Why is United Cajun Navy helping search for Riley Strain in Nashville?

Strain’s family requested the United Cajun Navy’s help in Nashville as an expanded search option to provide manpower and search equipment.

A United Cajun Navy airboat, an aluminum craft powered by a fan to float in shallow waters, arrived from South Carolina on Wednesday, United Cajun Navy vice president Brian Trascher told The Tennessean. The group also deployed a hovercraft to Nashville and a K-9 search unit is en route.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Chandler said MNPD has been in contact with Flagg “since the beginning.”

“(United Cajun Navy) is an extra resource for us,” Strain’s stepfather, Chris Whiteid, said at the press conference. “We’re 10-11 days into this … As the days drag on, we are frustrated. We know (Metro Police) are doing their jobs.”

How can the United Cajun Navy help find Riley Strain in Nashville?

The United Cajun Navy has proven helpful in missing person searches.

Schultz’s wife, Sarah, called the group’s volunteers “lifesavers” during an interview with Dateline. The organization brought 431 volunteers, drones and K-9 units to search for Schultz, who is still missing. However, United Cajun Navy volunteers were able to find another missing person’s body, Mark Riesberg, during the search for Schultz.

Flagg said Tuesday the main goal is to find Strain and the secondary goal is to ensure independent searchers are safe while scanning the steep and “treacherous” Cumberland River bank.

“I would encourage any (independent) volunteers who have been here to please come under the umbrella of the United Cajun Navy search,” Flagg said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is the United Cajun Navy: Their Nashville search for Riley Strain