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Needham Police Launch Multi-Agency Search for Missing 18-Year-Old Cole Davison

Needham police are searching for 18-year-old Cole Davison near 1000 South Street, using K9 teams, drones, and a regional rescue squad for a well-being check. Authorities are asking the public to stay away from the active search area to avoid disrupting thermal-imaging drones.

Needham Police Launch Multi-Agency Search for Missing 18-Year-Old Cole Davison

NEEDHAM, Mass. — Needham police are conducting an active search for a missing 18-year-old man, asking the public for help locating him while warning residents to stay clear of the search zone.

Cole Davison was reported missing Thursday, and police said they are trying to find him to conduct a well-being check. He may be wearing a blue flannel jacket with gold or yellow coloring, according to a description released by the department.

The search is concentrated in the area of 1000 South Street. It involves Metro-LEC Search and Rescue, K9 teams and drones, police said.

Authorities are urging anyone who spots Davison or has information about his whereabouts to call Needham police at 781-444-1212. They also asked concerned residents not to join the search on their own, explaining that additional people in the area could interfere with the drone operation.

The drones are using thermal imaging technology, and police said every heat signature detected must be investigated and verified. Extra people moving through the search area can slow that process and pull resources away from the effort to find Davison, the department warned.

"Every heat signature detected must be investigated and verified. Additional people entering the search area can significantly slow down these efforts and divert valuable resources away from locating Cole," police said in a statement.

No further details about the circumstances of Davison's disappearance were immediately available.

Missing-person searches in wooded or semi-rural areas like the South Street corridor often rely on a combination of ground teams, trained dogs and aerial technology, particularly when daylight fades or terrain limits visibility. Police did not say how long the search would continue or whether additional agencies would be brought in.

Residents with information are asked to contact the Needham Police Department directly rather than approach the search area.

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