Natasha Thomason

DALTON, Ga. — Posters of his face are plastered around Northwest Georgia businesses asking “Have You Seen Brett?”

No one has claimed to have laid eyes on Brett Andrew Thomason since the subfreezing night of Feb. 19, when according to two friends, he decided to continue a boat trip down the Conasauga River in southern Whitfield County after dropping them ashore.

Family members said Brett Thomason’s father, Tim Thomason, picked up the two teenagers — Macie Hinman, 16, and Colin Parrish, 15 — near the dead end of Riverbend Road. That is about a mile from where the flat-bottom boat Brett Thomason was paddling was found by searcher, pulled up on the river bank with a bag of his wet clothes.

His friends and family describe the 19-year-old as an adventurous kid who has seen his share of minor troubles, but they say he has a good heart and was looking forward to Marine Corps boot camp in April.

His sister, Natasha Thomason, 21, said the family will be offering a reward this week collected from donations for information about Mr. Thomason. The family has also had T-shirts printed for his family and friends similar to the posters, and there are collection jars at area stores to help with the costs of the search.

“I just want to hear from him,” Ms. Thomason said. “I’ve never went without hearing from him every two or three days, and this is going on three weeks.”

Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said Monday afternoon there have been no new developments in the case, but the Department of Natural Resources periodically is searching the river for a body. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also is assisting in the case.

DNR Ranger Eddie Tompkins said his department plans to have at least one search boat on the river every other day.

“If we knew he wasn’t in there, we wouldn’t be on the river,” he said.

Ms. Thomason said authorities have told her that they’re almost positive he’s not in the river, and authorities have phone records and other evidence in the investigation. She is handing over her laptop computer today so police can examine it, she said.

“There’s no reason to give up hope, because we just don’t know anything yet,” the sister said.