Late evening on Tuesday, Sept. 6 a search ensued to find a missing woman presumed to be somewhere in Tyler State Park. 21-year-old, Bensalem native, Lindsey Piccone, was reported missing by her parents when she did not return home that night.
Piccone was last seen Tuesday morning wearing a black tank top and grey sweatpants. She is 5 foot 3 and 120 pounds. Her car was found in the park where investigators learned she did not have her phone on her.
Since Tyler Park is so close to our campus, this is big news. The day after her disappearance, Bucks’ e2campus alert system notified students about the ongoing search. You also may have noticed fliers posted around campus asking for any information on her disappearance.
Dennis McCauley, director of security and safety at Bucks, was notified about Piccone’s disappearance by a Tyler State Park ranger the morning of Sept. 7. Part of the campus borders the park, so staff of security here at Bucks did their part by searching the woods on our property.
The search in the park began Tuesday night and ran into early Wednesday morning. Rangers temporarily closed the park to vehicular traffic the next day. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources sent personnel out to conduct concentrated searches throughout the park.
The Bucks County Courier Times also listed all the services provided, noting “police departments from Bensalem, Newtown, Northampton and Philadelphia; Pennsylvania State Police; Northampton Fire Co.; Newtown Fire Association; Trevose Fire Co.; Newtown Ambulance Squad and at least two K-9 search and rescue teams. Philadelphia police contributed their helicopter, which was using infrared technology to pick up on body heat, to the search.” The Bensalem Police Department put a Facebook post up September 8 asking for the public’s assistance in finding Piccone. Family and loved ones have also spoken out desperately trying to find Lindsey. Heather Andrews, one of Piccone’s family members spoke at a press conference held on the Wednesday after her disappearance. Andrews asked anyone with any information to come forward to help bring Lindsey home. Andrews then directed her speech directly to Piccone, saying “Lindsey, if you’re listening, you are so loved. Your parents love you so much more than I could ever begin to express. All of your family and friends are here with them helping to search for you. We love you and desperately want to bring you home. Please call us. We aren’t giving up until we find you.”
State park manager Eric Ihlein could not disclose the mental state Piccone may have been in at the time of her disappearance. He mentioned the search is a part of an ongoing investigation, so clearly there is more than meets the eye.
This has been the most extensive search in park history. Tyler State Park covers Newtown and Northampton townships at a whopping 1711 acres. Dependent on how the search carries out, volunteers may be asked to aid in the search for Lindsey.
Anyone with any information about Piccone or her whereabouts is urged to contact Bucks County Emergency Services at 601-982-5411.