Town Prays For Teen's Safe Return

Family and friends gathered at a church services in West Brookfield, Mass., Thursday morning, praying for the safe return of 16-year old Warren lifeguard Molly Bish, who disappeared from her job at Comins Pond on Tuesday.

"We pray that Molly is well ... but however this whole, horrible nightmare unfolds, to be with God is the only essential element for any one of us," Rev. Peter Shea of Sacred Heart Church told the group assembled at the church.

Meanwhile, the massive search for the girl continues for a third day in Warren, as authorities desperately seek the whereabouts of a missing teenager.

NewsCenter 5's Marnie MacLean reports that police have interviewed more than 100 people and dozens of tips have been investigated. All of the information is being input into a computer data base. The ground search has been scaled back and the search area has been expanded beyond the pond.

"We put out five-person teams on rural roads that are searching catch-basins and drainage ditches and things of that nature," State Police Capt. Robert Bird said.

Authorities are now allowing civilians to aid in the search. They are battling thick brush, ticks and poison ivy.

"It's real slow, but you have to go slow to find any kind of clues that you might need," one searcher said.

Bish vanished from her life-guarding job at a local pond, leaving behind a pile of her belongings on the beach. Some residents have said a man in his 40s had been seeing watching Bish before her disappearance, and Wednesday state police said they were treating it as a "deliberate act."

Authorities in Warren are now in contact with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

• June 29, 2000: Search For Missing Lifeguard Continues
• June 28, 2000: Teen Lifeguard's Disappearance A 'Deliberate Act'
• June 28, 2000: Police Search For Missing Warren Lifeguard