RAS,

Thanks, that is the type of feedback I was hoping for. Here's more of my potentially flawed thinking:

I have some limited training in SAR as a Civil Air Patrol cadet land rescue team member (20+ years ago) which included basic tracking as taught by a few military special ops personnel. I try to keep up on my skills through reading and dirt time. I also have a BA in psychology.

What I'm thinking of is working outside the organization to take an approach to the search based on psychology and intuition rather than conventional search strategies. I know it's a long shot, but as long as it wouldn't hinder other efforts at all, I'm thinking of giving it a try. My guess is that I simply wouldn't be allowed into the search area anyway. And hopefully they'll find the lost person way before I ever get out from my armchair quarterback position.