POLSON — It's been over two weeks since 54-year-old Danette Tenas went missing in Lake County.
Family and friends have spent days searching for Danette who was last seen in the area of Buffalo Bridge Road on October 8.
Reporter Robyn Iron joined one of those searches Wednesday and met the loved ones who are not giving up hope.
“We're only 18 months apart and when my mom would go to work I raised her and she would always say, ‘you're my sister-mom’,” Danette’s sister Dana Hewankorn told MTN.
While out of town, Hewankorn said she received a phone call from her brother who was worried he had not heard from their sister Danette.
Hewankorn says Danette was known for not carrying a cell phone, but she always made a point to contact her family every few days.
Hewankorn added that Danette was outgoing with many friends and liked to go out and play pool.
"She was a sweetheart and she rolled with the punches. She didn't deserve the hard life she had."
Danette was last seen on her birthday, which was on October 8.
Her family filed a missing persons report with Lake County three days later.
Lake County Search and Rescue and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, along with many volunteers, began the search a few days later.
A group of friends told authorities Danette was left near Buffalo Bridge after their vehicle broke down.
They said when they returned, she was nowhere to be found. Family and friends have been searching that area since Friday.
"We covered a lot of ground since Friday, and it's been a long emotional road for everyone,” said Judy Wolf, one of Danette’s friends.
Search efforts including drones, helicopters and people on foot helped determine the last place Danette’s tracks were located.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell says the sooner the report is filed for a missing person, the sooner a search can begin.
“The Tribe has really stepped up in helping, and we will determine what our efforts are depending on what we find today,” Sheriff Bell said on Wednesday.
Danette's family still remains hopeful.
“I'm going to bring you home sister, I am going to try to stay here until you get home,” Hewankorn told MTN.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Danette Tenas is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 406-883-7301.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise money for the search for Danette. Click here for more information.
