MOSS BLUFF, Texas – Johnny Lowe, 55, has been missing for seven days.
He was last seen going fishing June 27 in the Moss Bluff neighborhood near the Trinity River.
Members of Texas EquuSearch and the Liberty County Sheriff's Office began searching the Trinity River for clues Thursday morning.
"He was last seen fishing not very far from here and so we just felt as though it's a process of elimination, said Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch. "Let's eliminate the water."
Using sonar, searchers found what appears to be a car but were unable to investigate further because Mother Nature forced them to call off the search.
"The river is at flood stage," Miller said. "It's too dangerous for them to even consider putting a diver in now so we got to keep an eye on the river, and when the river goes down a little bit, we'll come back."
Miller has never met Lowe but said he worries about the details of his disappearance.
"He's pretty active," Miller said. "He knew everybody and nobody has seen him. His phone goes straight to voicemail ... that doesn't happen with him."
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is in its early stages but as of right now it's being handled as a missing person case.
"We are just starting to talk to people and are trying to get a handle on this thing and then we'll find out whether in fact there was foul play or if it's just a missing person," said Ken DeFoor, Sheriff's Office spokesman.
DeFoor admits time is working against them.
"It's July, it's hot," DeFoor said. "The Trinity River, if that becomes a factor in this case, is flowing quite heavily at this point in time. It will be difficult to recover anything or anyone from that river."
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about this case to call the Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 936-335-4500.