The search for two hunters — Zeb Hughes and Gunner Palmer — has been ongoing since Dec. 3, when the two went missing on the Mississippi River.

In the month since the two were reported missing, there has not been a day that someone has not been on the river, on the riverbank or in the air searching for the two. 

It is amazing how soon we forget just how dangerous and unpredictable the Mississippi River is. It takes a tragedy such as this to both remind us of the perils the river presents and the heroism of our local emergency agencies — such as the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.

While this search has received coverage from not just The Post, but from media outlets throughout Mississippi and the region, this is nothing new, it is just the latest.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace and his deputies have led numerous searches — some with happy endings and others that have resulted in providing closure to families simply wanting to grieve the loss of their loved ones. Everyone has now come to the realization that this search is not a rescue, but a recovery. But for Pace, his search teams and those with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, how you classify the search does not change the dedication and focus.

Pace has repeatedly said that this search, just like the others he has been a part of, is to provide answers and closure.

There is no telling how many people have spent hours searching for both Hughes and Palmer. In addition to our local and state law enforcement agencies, there have been countless other volunteers who have joined in to overturn every rock, search every scrap of riverbank and scour every inlet along the river for miles.

The search will undoubtedly continue for as long as it takes because this is the mission, this is the purpose for those who serve our communities and serve our families. This is what they do, this is what they have done and this is what they will continue to do regardless of the situation or the media coverage. It is just what they do and who they are.