YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Michael and Nancy Chipps walked along a trail at the Lock 12 Historic Area near the Susquehanna River in Lower Chanceford Township, York County on Monday.
"We wanted to take a walk down here and get a feel for what was what," said Michael.
They say this is where their son, Tony Bortner, regularly came to clear his head.
"Tony's always been a person who likes nature, he's not confrontational and when he gets wound up or whatever, he'll just run down here and go for a walk," continued Michael, Tony's stepfather.
The 50-year-old Windsor man, who has been a fire police captain with the Laurel Fire Company #1 for years, was last seen on Oct. 17.
The fire company announced Bortner's disappearance on its Facebook page on Saturday afternoon, saying that he had been missing for nearly 48 hours at that point.
"The fire department is his psychological reasoning for even being here," said Michael. He's just that into the fire department and for him not to be in communication with them, if he could be, he would be."
Tony's vehicle was found at Lock 12 by state police over the weekend. On Monday, authorities continued searching the area.
"They told me they tracked his phone down here around 2:15 on Thursday," Michael told FOX43. "It showed him going down towards the river and going down south and all of a sudden they just lost everything."
Tony’s parents don’t suspect foul play but are concerned about what happened.
"He always helps everyone out...he's got the biggest heart. Everyone likes him," Tony's mother, Nancy said.
"We're still hopeful," added Michael. "I don't know, the longer it goes on, the worse you worry."
Tony's parents say he is also a paramedic, so they believe if he had gotten hurt, he would have been able to at least help himself enough to get to shelter.
"If anyone knows anything, please go to the police," they said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Loganville Barracks.